


Games against God

by Nessaiya



Series: I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. [1]
Category: Dragon Ball, House M.D.
Genre: Cameron is jealous, Erik Foreman will get sacked, F/M, Gen, Hannah doesn't mind, House doesn't get shot this time around, House is an awesome doctor, I will explain the Dragon Ball cross over, It's never lupus, Wilson is clueless, and Stacy, but Hannah is badass enough to scare them off, falling in love after falling into bed with each other, his social abilities are lacking though, so is Cuddy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-07 17:58:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 80,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10366260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nessaiya/pseuds/Nessaiya
Summary: Last game he won. Yet this one is a tad more interesting…





	1. The game begins.

**Author's Note:**

> One of my early works. Don't ask me how I even came up with it, it just happened. House needed a woman that matches him. Tadah, Hannah McLachlan.

The last game against God he won 4:3.

Almighty bastard didn’t seem to like that.

He couldn’t come up with another explanation for the weather not allowing him to ride his bike, sohe had to use a cab in order to get home.

He couldn’t come up with another explanation for the fact that there was this bloody idiot standing in front of him demanding his money.

He couldn’t come up with another explanation for the fact that it even seemed to rain more than five minutes ago, cold water dripping down his neck.

The creature in front of him kept waving his knife.

Who the hell was trying to rip off a cripple? He was asking this question as loud and as arrogant as always, thrusting the rubber end of his cane down on the cold dark asphalt, watching dirty water soil the trousers of the other man.

Who the hell wanted to rip off a cripple, who knew that there was a crumpled 20 bucks somewhere in the pockets of his jeans and whose real wallet was named James Wilson?

The guy didn’t seem to mind. At least he was getting a bit nervous looking around himself to make sure nobody was disturbing them.

Maybe he was smart enough to get going without showing Gregory House that God was always winning. One way or the other.

 

Yet the dumbass kept demanding his money which left him rolling his eyes before searching his clothes. Finally producing a handful of change he held it right under the nose of his fearless robber who, dumbstruck for some seconds, forgot to even wave his knife. For many others this would have been the chance to make an escape.

So, that’s why you ripped off a cripple. Didn’t try to run away that easily.

The genius still didn’t get it, remembering to wave his hand again.

He was just leaning on his cane, burning holes with his cold-blue eyes into the guy, waiting for him to realize that he wouldn’t get a penny. If it was not the refuse of the slightly disabled person in front of him, then the silent click of heels not far away must at least tell him that they were not alone anymore.

 ***

Genius still howled somewhat surprised at the pain that was caused by his thumb being pushed into the wrong direction, sending him to his knees. The knife was falling to the ground ceasing to be a threat.

House found himself staring at a pair of long, well toned legs in high heels that came out from under a very business-looking skirt. He let his gaze wander up over nicely shaped hips and a slim waist, not being able to see more because of the umbrella his lifesaver was holding in her left hand as if she wasn’t forcing a man at least twice her weight to his knees with the other one.

When she finally lifted her umbrella she looked him directly in the eye and made him forget that he had intended to catch a look at her ‘funbags’. She had pale skin, full lips and auburn hair which he all abandoned while looking into her eyes.

They were black under the streetlight where he had stopped.

Pitchblack.

 ***

“So. What are we going to do with our friend here?” she asked, tormenting the thumb of this waste of skin a little bit more.

“Steal his wallet? I hold him, you beat him up”, was his sarcastic suggestion while he congratulated himself for being one of the few males that were able to multitask. He could check out a beautiful woman, be sarcastic, and breathe at the same time.

She had the ability to curl one corner of her mouth upwards while looking thoughtful.

“I think we should let him go. I don’t think there will be any more thieves with broken thumbs around here”, she said, yanking his thumb back into the right direction.

House looked at the man who right now wasn’t dangerous anymore. He looked as if he would faint any second and House hoped he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to end up helping this little creep.

Finally the guy got back to his feet and hurried off.

She grabbed the knife on the floor and let it snap together with an elegant motion.

 

She didn’t ask if he was alright.

 

“I should have told him that he needs to see a doctor with his hand…”

 

“Don’t worry. He’ll be back right tomorrow in the clinic stuttering something about a badminton incident. Taxpayer’s going to pay for it.”

 

He didn’t thank her.

 

Instead he realized an obese female visitor taking the last cab and sighed.

 

An umbrella appeared over his head with her adjusting easily to his steps while they were walking towards her car in the visitor’s parking lot.

 ***

The ride to his home was silent except for his directions.

He didn’t invite her in for coffee. Since Wilson moved out he wasn’t sure he would have any.

Nevertheless she followed him.

House 1, God 0.

 

 


	2. Beautiful stranger

The warm water of his shower and the beautiful (and willing) woman facing him tempted him to think that the world wasn’t always as bad as he kept thinking of it.

Yet it would be even better if he hadn’t to grip the steel banister to support his right leg.

While he greedily kissed her lips his left hand brushed against her hard nipple and he decided that the silent moan that escaped her justified a point for his opponent.

House 1, God 1.

He better tried not thinking of what he could have done with his both hands free…

So it were just the long fingers of his one hand playing with her breast that fit so perfectly into his palm.

Her fingers slid down his torso and finally stopped at his ass, grazing slightly with her nails which caused him to groan into her mouth.

When he finally had to come up for air he found himself trapped once more in her dark gaze. He couldn’t tell where the pupils stopped and where the iris began.

With her hands touching him like feathers she made her way to his abs sliding them down and watching his eyes darken with lust.

Just above her target she stopped.

“Normally I’m not doing something like that.”

As if to show him that really everybody lied her fingertips started to caress his hard length, causing another moan from him.

“Normally I have to pay for something like that”, he admitted with a rough voice, pulling her towards him.

But the point for getting lucky he had given himself already.

 

Next thing he knew was that she was kissing him quite forcefully, just like he’d before, while continuing to stroke him and lifting her right leg to rest behind his calf.

Unconsciously he let go of the banister to sneak his hand between her thighs and started to slowly rub between her wet folds.

She broke contact throwing her head back as his long pianist’s fingers started to play with her.

“Ohh God…”

His right leg started to protest and he decided to ignore it. He planned to free many other sounds out of this beautiful throat whose wildly throbbing pulse he was kissing.

 

He learned that she was surprisingly strong when she caught him as the leg gave way.

 

1:2 for the almighty bastard.

 

Actually he should give him some more points he decided when thinking about his favourite positions that he couldn’t manage anymore.

But it was really hard to think if you had long, auburn hair tickling on your chest when she licked her way down his stomach with her tiny, pink tongue.

Brushing her hair out of the way she watched him with her obsidian eyes while lazily licking the tip of his painfully erect penis with the tip of her tongue.

His fingers clawed into the mattress of his bed and he couldn’t stop himself from throwing back his head and close his eyes with a groan as her lips closed around him.

 

Ten minutes later he was holding her trembling hips while thrusting into her on autopilot for one last time.

He decided that they were even once again.

Gregory House was good at everything he occupied himself with.

Also in his task of bringing a stranger to climax with him.

 

***

 

The feeling of her lifting her head from his shoulder caused him to wake up.

Watching the clock next to his bed she said: “I have to go.”

Still half asleep he realized sunlight shining into his bedroom and also glanced at the clock, deciding that it was WAY to early for HIM to get up.

Half closed eyes followed her through the room where she gathered her things and dressed herself.

He expected her to leave silently without turning around like every hooker he ever got did and got himself ready to admit a 2:3 defeat when he felt his mattress shifting under her weight.

Her warm breath brushed over him as she kissed him once more and was easily pulled into his embrace.

He grunted crankily as she freed herself and got off the bed, but didn’t want to say anything. Instead blue eyes followed her on the way to the door.

“I know where you live”, she said with that half smile before disappearing.

He was watching the entrance to his bedroom astonished until he heard his front door and slid back onto his pillow with a relieved sigh.

Until his always hyperactive brain took over control again, telling him that this very  well could have been a one nighter.

She knew where he lived?

So what?

He didn’t know anything about her.

Just as always couldn’t have cared less.

People lie…

To not hurt other people, to feel better, to…

He turned around with a growl and pressed his face into a pillow.

House 2, God 3.


	3. Surprise, surprise

Allison Cameron and Robert Chase could tell from minute one that day that their boss was in a foul mood. First he had refused to treat a patient quite fiercely, growling even at Cameron when she entered his office. After that Chase was sure he wouldn’t have survived going in and telling him the symptoms that finally caught his attention.

Now they were sitting in front of the white board, House in charge of the markers with no intention of letting anyone touch them today.

 

Fever

 

Inflammation all over the body (since he was too lazy to actually write down all the body parts)

 

Repeated Infection

 

Was written on it under the name House had given this case: Bubble boy.

Which was pretty accurate, since their patient currently lived in sterile surroundings.

The problem was that it wasn’t helping.

 

No matter what the two of them suggested, they were cut off on their second sentence at the latest. With a growl the diagnostician let himself fall onto a chair, fishing his Vicodin-tube out of his pocket and taking out one of the painkillers. The throbbing in his thigh reminded him of her and he growled again.

 

His two doctors looked at him curiously and very carefully.

Normally it was Foreman who got it worst when House was on the warpath.

But he was still being treated against the parasites and had to recover from the brain surgery, still not knowing how serious the damage would be.

 

House swallowed his pill dry and still stared at the board. It definitely was some kind of immune disease. They only had to find out which part of the immune system was affected.

“It could be the complement-system. Or maybe hashimoto’s thyroiditis”, Cameron tried again, earning a growl as he stood up from his chair.

“Stop guessing around!”

“There’s nothing else we could do right now!” Chase piped up and got himself a devastating glare.

Not bothering to answer that House drummed his cane on the floor, still staring at the board.

 

Behind him the glass door to his conference room opened and the clicking of heels told him that Lisa Cuddy was paying him a visit. He frowned at the sounds of another pair of high heels.

Didn’t she promise him a replacement for Foreman? Now he got a little friend for Cameron to whom she could girlytalk all her unfulfilled fantasies concerning her boss.

He turned around, a sarcastic remark on the tip his tongue just as Cuddy started to introduce the new doctor / bestest new friend for Cameron.

“The substitute for your neurologist, House. Dr. McLachlan will take over for Foreman until he can work again, and head our Institute of Genetics.”

House just stared wide eyed at the young woman in the business costume, with her pale skin, with the auburn hair and the pitchblack eyes.

The gazes of his two remaining ducklings wandered from the Head of Diagnostics to the to be Head of Genetics and seemed to wait for the sharp ridicule of their boss.

Surprising everybody he limped a few steps towards her and extended his hand.

“Gregory”, he said with an earnest expression on his face.

She took his hand and smiled ever so lightly.

“Hannah.”

 

At least about one thing he could be sure: She wouldn’t be girlytalking about UNFULFILLED fantasies…

And his hot stranger was a colleague.

2:4 for the almighty S.O.A.B.

 

They were still being watched by the other doctors in the room which he realized just now. Abruptly he let go off her hand and nearly tripped as he marched back to the board.

“Any other ideas?” he snarled sitting down again and once again searched for his tube with the painkillers.

“I stick to Hashimoto’s”, replied Cameron, her glance once again on the new colleague and Cuddy who wanted to say something else but was right now occupied with watching House being more weird than normal.

“And I stick to my no. Something productive, Sunnyboy?”

Chase had to rip his eyes out of the V-neck of the new doctor (figuratively, of course), which didn’t go unnoticed by House who suppressed another growl.

“Maybe Dr. McLachlan has”, he smiled at her. He was ignored when she  stared at the board as well, hands on her hips, finally saying: “Chediak-Hidashi.”

House thoughtfully stroked his stubble.

“That would explain, why the infection returned also in the sterile environment… Test that.”

“But…” Cameron shot him a glare. She was the immunologist in this team!

“I said test that!!! I’m not talking mandarin right now, am I?!”

 

“The work climate’s not getting any better”, Cuddy warned her newest doctor after the outburst of St.House and the hasty escape of Cameron and Chase.

She just tipped her head to the side, making “Hmm.”

Cuddy sighed. She knew that the young woman wasn’t into talking that much. At least she didn’t seem to be intimidated by House’s behavior.

“I’ll show you the clinic so you can get started… and you also owe me two hours today, House!”

He grumbled another “Hmm”, staring at the board once again, wishing it would tell him, if they were right…


	4. Clinic duty

“Okay…”

She had to look at the patients file to recall the boy’s name.

“…Bjǿrn…”

Why the hell did people name their children after the furniture they’d been conceived on?

“You just came down with a cold. Two days bed rest and absolutely no school, what do you say?”

The boy smiled and clutched his mother’s hand while Hannah was pulling off her gloves and writing up a spray to free his nose.

The mother looked at her surprised.

“He doesn’t get any antibiotics?”

The young doctor sitting on the mobile chair gritted her teeth before turning around to answer her.

“No.”

The mother was still not convinced.

“Why? I mean he’s sniffling all day… Wouldn’t that go away faster, if you prescribed him something like penicillin?”

Hannah stared her down until she was sure the woman felt really stupid before answering her.

“If he comes down with a salmonella infection then I’ll be happy to give him penicillin. A cold is caused by a virus. Antibiotics don’t work there.”

“But…”

 

“You better believe her, she’s one hell of a doctor”, a deep voice came from the entrance to the room. The mother spun around, Hannah didn’t seem to be shocked.

House winked at the boy and popped his cherry lollipop into his right cheek.

“If you ask nurse Brenda really nice, she’ll give you one, too…”

Having the boy drag out his mother he finally could close the door behind them taking the candy out of his mouth. Another serious look appeared on his face.

“I hate it when they’re doing that”, growled the woman in front of him and the corners of his mouth turned upwards.

“Please, every patient is WAY smarter than us half gods in white… stop that, you’re sounding like me!”

His face turned earnest again, not sure what to say.

“I thought you were a visitor”, he finally said watching her reaction.

She didn’t even blink.

“I thought you were a patient”, she began, but cut herself off.

“Actually, I didn’t really think yesterday… that came later when I tried to justify it…”

He tilted his head to one side.

“Hope you’re a little bit more successful with that than I am…”

She shook her head.

“Haven’t even found an explanation yet…”

“Well, I’m irresistible. Ask Cameron.”

At that she just smiled, not a bit intimidated.

He looked at her smiling back.

“It’s really not very professional to take a patient home, well, unless you ARE a professional, Dr. McLachlan.”

She got up from her chair making a few steps in his direction.

“It is not very professional to take a visitor home, either, Dr. House”, she imitated his words while he was frowning.

“What?”

“I like Hannah better than your surname… easier to scream.”

She surprised him by smiling at that.

“Hmmm… I’ve never had a Gregory before, so I don’t know how easy that would be… want to test that?”

 

She tasted like cherries when he kissed her. Only his sticky lollipop that was falling to the ground when he needed the hand let him realize that it was him tasting like that.

He also realized the heat that was burning in her cheeks while he was holding onto his cane with a firm grip, his knuckles turning white.

“So, now that we know each other – and I mean not only in the biblical sense – what happens now?”

His voice was rough again while he watched her walk around him to reach the door.

 

He had already reached her when her small white fingers curled around the door lock to shut the rest of the hospital out, pressing the growing bulge in his jeans against her firm back. The little sigh that escaped her encouraged him to brush her hair out of the way letting his tongue slide over her neck.

His cane fell to the floor as unnoticed as the candy had before when he grabbed at her thighs with both of his hands, starting to shove her skirt up.

“What are you doing to me?!” he moaned when she didn’t stop him but put her hands on his, helping him.

“What are YOU doing to me?” she replied breathlessly and had to grab the doorframe when his long fingers slid under the fabric of her panties finding her dripping wet.

His other hand found a way under her blouse freeing one breast of the bra he intended to definitely watch her put it back in place and started to play with one taut nipple, causing her to moan again.

 

The fact that his bad leg hadn’t started to throb yet let him finally realize that he was leaning with most of his weight on her, so he pulled back a little not wanting to crush her.

What he got was a disappointed sound, when he abandoned her breast in order to steady himself on his left leg.

“Ain’t I too heavy?”

She just yanked at his left hand pulling it back to her breast making him hiss as his hips came in contact with her nicely shaped butt again.

He stopped her from opening his belt and watched her resting her head on her arm against the door while his fingers were working their magic.

 

Loud knocking on the door caused him to lift his head. He was even more surprised when he found out that the woman in his arms didn’t seem to care. Every other female would have pushed him away, yet she started swaying her hips from one side to the other slowly.

“House? You in there?!”

Cuddy. Of course. Who else had the bad timing to interrupt him in a moment like this?

She was yanking at the door handle once.

He growled an “I’m busy!” hoping she would go away to let him complete his task.

“House! Brenda said you and Dr. McLachlan were in there. What the hell are you doing?”

He gritted his teeth to keep himself from saying “It.”

Instead he sighed deeply, just in the right time, when a little whimper came from Hannah.

“We’re having a consult…”

Cuddy on the other side of the door started to get impatient.

“You don’t have a patient in there!”

The diagnostician growled again, this time definitely angry.

“Damn, Cuddy, why the hell would I of all people consult a neurologist?!” he snapped louder than necessary and met her movements with a thrust that caused sweat beads to form on his forehead.

He yanked her panties down.

In front of the door it had gotten quiet. When she spoke again Cuddy sounded way softer.

“We’re having an appointment at the Institute of Genetics in half an hour, Dr. McLachlan. We can meet there…”

He was watching her very interested when she lifted her head from her arm, her voice sounding pretty normal despite her fast breathing.

“I’m coming… in about 20 minutes…”

She heard a “Fine”, from the other side an the sounds of her heels when the dean of PPTH marched away back to raising funds or something like that.

He heard a faint, second  “I’m coming” and started to grind his hips into her backside.

 

She wriggled out of his grip until she was facing him, this time he being the one who groaned dissatisfied. He’d definitely had other plans with her when this spoilsport had arrived. The disappointment soon left his eyes, though, when her tongue licked over his bottom lip, her hands grabbing his belt once more.

She had it open in no time, as well as the button and the zipper yanking both his trousers and his boxers to his ankles while pushing him down on the chair she had been sitting on before.

He leaned back in it with a throaty “Mmmh” helping her to straddle him, guiding his aching erection into her warm, wet core.

He threw his head back with another groan when she started the swaying rhythm again.

This definitely wouldn’t take 20 minutes.

Her lips brushed his briefly when she again caught him in this black gaze of hers, whispering: “What are you doing to me…?”

He was too busy with breathing to answer and instead caressed her thighs.

She was nibbling at his neck and shoulder when her rhythm started to get unsteady.

When her inner muscles started to clench around him she bit down on the flesh between neck and shoulder, sending him over the edge.

He noisily came with a “Nggrrraah!”, pulling her tightly to him.

Another score for him. When he started to remember how their points had been before, he would give himself another one…

 

Their breathing was only slightly back to normal, when they heard another knock on the door.

“Is everything alright in there?” nurse Brenda asked and it took real effort from House not to start to snicker.

“Yeah… Insensitive neurologist just hit a nerve in my poor leg…”

“Means you still feel something in there and we don’t have to saw it off”, she grinned against his shoulder, making the corners of his mouth go up.

They heard an “Okay” from the other side of the door and Brenda walk away.

She lifted her head from his shoulder, still grinning at him.

“Didn’t sound like Hannah, though…”

“Hey, at least I got the last two letters right… didn’t hear a Greg either”,  he grinned back.

“What can I say, I’m no screamer… never been…” she smiled, pecking him on his lips before licking the spot where she had bitten him. He briefly wondered if she had drawn blood, but then decided that it didn’t matter.

“This is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me…”

She sat up, still joined with him and looked at him questioningly.

“You were right before, you know?” he said, caressing her back under her blouse, causing her to frown.

“It is Chediak-Hidashi”, he answered her question before she could ask it.

“Well, ain’t I a smart girl.”

She kissed him again, this time stopping to put one of her hands over the scar on his thigh.

“There’s got to be a lot of nerve-damage in the muscle…” she stated silently, getting herself an astonished look.

“They oversaw a clotting and an infarction for four days. Had to cut out the dead part of the muscle and wanted to saw it off eventually. But I kind of like my leg. It’s been mine since I can think…”

“Still has to hurt as hell”, she said, caressing the scar with her feathery touch.

“Well. There’s this little invention called Vicodin, really helping. And I thought we could do this more often… Also helping”, he said with a boyish smile on his face.

Her face was turning serious.

“Am I going to be your next addiction?”

He looked at her surprised.

“How’d you know I was an addict?”

“The way you’re swallowing them. And you tend to finger the bottle when your under pressure…”

His fingers curled around her thighs.

“You some kind of psychologist, too?”

At that she really had to laugh hard, nearly choking at what he said.

“Oh God, no… who the hell wants to be a shrink?!”

He just looked at her flushed face.

“So, now that I’ve spilled my guts, amongst other things… tell me something ‘bout you.”

She leaned against him again, letting her tongue travel over his ear and whispered: “I’m horny as hell right now… and we only have seven minutes left…”

At that he sent her a mean grin and started to move his hips.

He was working best under pressure…


	5. He was confused

He was confused.

And when he was confused he talked to Jimmy.

Yet now he was sitting in the ‘Bad news’ chair of the oncologist and didn’t know what to say. Instead he drummed his cane on the floor, driving Wilson crazy.

“Do you actually have a problem, or are you just here to hide from clinic duty?”

“Hey, I’m a good boy today, I’m in my third hour now. Cuddy will be so proud.”

“Until she finds out that you just ‘forgot’ to clock out when you left, and gives you one week more…”

House looked right through him at that… maybe they could synchronize their hours…

He was shocked out of the naughty thoughts that came to his mind by Wilson snapping his fingers in front of his eyes.

“Are you okay? You didn’t do experiments with this migraine medicine again, did you?”

“Hell no.”

Wilson sat down next to him, looking confused as well.

“Then what’s the matter?”

House leaned heavily on his cane, focusing the floor.

“I met someone yesterday. A woman.”

Wilson frowned.

“So what? Half of the mankind is female, you have to meet one once in a while. You know, you might even be working with some!”

What should have been a joke caused House to growl at him.

“I took her home.”

“You don’t even have coffee at your house, House.”

“Well, that wasn’t what we’re interested in, so it didn’t matter. Okay, I could have offered her breakfast when she left this morning…”

Wilson grinned at him.

“Wow, must have been a good girl. Every other hooker you kick out when you’re finished.”

House surprised him by getting angry at that.

“She’s no damn hooker!”

Wilson stared at him wide eyed at his protective voice.

“Oh my God… you like her! I have to meet that woman.”

“Un uh… you get over with your divorce first and leave me my hot stranger!” House grinned at his friend with the soon to be Ex Mrs. Wilson number 3.

“Stranger?”

“Well… I didn’t know her name until I met her again ‘bout two hours ago…” His face got a slightly dreamy expression.

“I better shouldn’t ask… who is she? Patient? Nurse? New doctor?”

House shook his head.

“Not telling you. I still have to find out myself what’s going on…”

Wilson leaned back against his chair und watched his friend.

“So… how’s your new neurologist then? Chase’s running around like he fell in love with her first time he saw her.”

House didn’t even blink, when he stood up from the chair.

“Smart. But she’s a lesbian… was making googly eyes at Cameron.”


	6. Wanna see something cool?

He’d actually done two more clinic hours and this time really seen patients. They still annoyed him like hell, everyone of them thinking they had a brain tumor when they just needed new glasses to get rid of a headache.

Still he had something to do, keeping his mind occupied with mean remarks he could throw at them.

When it got too boring with repeated cases of the cold he clocked out, having done 5 hours. Cuddy wouldn’t believe it, but Brenda had seen him now and then, so she couldn’t prove he hadn’t been here.

 

Playing with his gameboy, the earplugs of his iPod in his ears didn’t help either to keep his mind from drifting to the new neurologist. Growling at himself he finally put his legs down from his desk and wandered off to the elevator.

 

The Department of Genetics was in a new complex, which meant there was a great amount of glass and steel involved, and no straight walls on the outside…

He could see that some workers were carrying away something that looked like a centrifuge, a really big, old one. When he walked along the floor he could see that most of the doors to the labs were open, busy people doing some cloning or extracting, or whatever it was that they should be doing.

 

Her office was on the top floor. Nice view, he decided.

He limped to her open door lifting his cane to knock, when she was pushing a heavy wooden desk from one side of the room to the other.

He watched her flexed muscles when she finally stood there, examining her work.

“I’m going to get grilled in here in summer”, she said into the room, frowning at the glass wall in front of her.

“I’ll take you to my hide-out place in the morgue then… it’s cool down there.”

She didn’t seem surprised to see him when she turned around.

“Hi. Done with hiding from clinic duty?”

“Yep. I’m allergic to boring stuff, so I left after the third case of cold. I wondered if you had a little time for me.”

She cocked her head to the side and watched him intently.

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“If you want me to be able to walk out on my own when I finish today…”

At that his mouth went dry and he stared at her unbelievingly.

 

He stared at her still openmouthed when she reached him.

“Wanna see something really cool?”

He hoped she would lift her skirt once again for him, but instead she guided him to another door in her office he hadn’t seen before. It was the only entrance to another lab, fully equipped with things his ducklings would kill to get their fingers on.

He followed her to an incubator, smelling the CO2 when she opened it and took a petri dish out, placing it under a microscope.

He bent down, looking into the ocular, seeing small, round cells growing on a layer of feeder cells.

“Stem cells” he stated, looking at her. She nodded.

“What’s so cool about them, unless they’re…” He cut himself off.

“Human?”

“Yep. Induced, though. Getting the good stuff is hard.” She put the dish back into the incubator, leaving the door open.

“Wanna see something really, really cool?”

“You got also alien stem cells in there?” he mocked getting a weird look as answer. She took another dish and positioned it under the microscope.

He looked dutifully into it again.

First he saw nothing but a thin monolayer of cells.

Then they pulsed.

And pulsed a second time.

And a third time.

He held his breath and just watched the cells beat in a steady rhythm.

Then he looked up at her, fascinated.

She grabbed the dish and put it back into the incubator.

“Heart-muscle cells are easy. At least in a monolayer. One day it will be possible to differentiate stem cells into everything that we need…”

Also thigh-muscles, or nerves which was more her kind of field he thought when switching the light of the microscope off.

“I think, I’ll be visiting you every now and then to monitor the progress, out of purely scientific interest, of course”, he grinned when he pulled her into his arms.

“Of course. Didn’t I tell you? I’m a smart girl.”

He leaned in to kiss her, when they heard a sharp knock on her outer office door.

“Dr. McLachlan? You in there?”

She looked at him unbelievingly.

“She always has this bad timing?” Probably she just didn’t know how to use a phone.

He nodded and let go off her, before hollering: “We’re in here, Cuddy. Wanna join the party?”

 

“There’s been an incident at the clinic”, Cuddy started. House watched the other woman from the corner of his eye. She didn’t blink or look disturbed.

“Maybe, if you could leave, House…” his boss asked and he frowned. So this wasn’t about some strange noises Brenda had heard.

“Oh, you’re mean, always shooing me away, when it gets interesting.” He didn’t move a limb.

Cuddy rolled her eyes.

“We treated a man who insisted that one of our employees had broken his thumb. His description…”

“Matches me, I know”, Hannah cut her off.

“You know? Did you…”

“Break his finger? Yes.”

Cuddy stared at her unbelieving.

“Didn’t you think that was important to tell me?”

“No.”

At this the dean of PPTH sighed deeply. Another doctor who was driving her crazy. Why did she have to pull everything out of her nose?

“Why did you break his finger?”

“Because he was threatening me with a knife”, House spoke up, accelerating things a bit. Cuddy’s head turned to him, watching him intently. Searching his face she finally came to the conclusion that he wasn’t joking this time.

“Didn’t you two think this was important enough to call the police?”

“He’s just a little robber. I thought he would learn his lesson. He seems to be more stupid than I thought coming up here with the truth”, House stated.

Hannah just said “No.”

Cuddy lifted her arms in defeat leaving the lab and shaking her head. At least she knew that the guy hadn’t anything he could hold against the hospital.

 

House grinned at his stranger.

“You’re pretty good at this interrogation thing. From now on you’ll be doing patient’s history.”

“How do you know from 4 answers I gave that I’m good at interrogation?”

“You don’t talk too much and get straight to the point. Will minimize time and amount of girly scribble I have to read.”

“I could write it in Farsi if you need a challenge, or maybe Japanese…” she grinned back at him.

He frowned at her.

“Tease”, he finally said, not so sure if he was right.

“Well, maybe, you’ll never find out…”

He decided that she wouldn’t be boring for a great amount of time.

And he decided to enjoy every second.

“So, when do you think you would be calling it a day?”

She strode out of the lab before him, stopping in front of a big white couch at the window.

“When I’ve found the perfect place for this thing. Any suggestions?”

He opted for the wall next to the door, since neither of them needed any audience…


	7. First thing he learned

First thing he learned was that she was loaded.

She had promised to buy him dinner if he stopped undressing her while she was on the phone with one of her supply agencies that had called in the most bad timing moment.

What he didn’t expect was that she took him to her hotel, all the way up to the penthouse, ordering from the room service.

She had devoured her meal hungrily with him staring at her unbelievingly.

Glaring back she asked “What?”

“Are you always eating like that?”

“Yes. Why?” She cocked her head to one side.

“Oh, I forgot, you only answer directly to questions”, he grinned taking a forkful of his food and leaned back on the sofa where they were watching TV.

“Didn’t Cuddy buy you lunch today? You can’t be that hungry…”

“Well, I met this doctor who made me climax three times today. Orgasms tend to make me hungry, especially 5 minutes before room service arrives…”

“Must be a good guy then. Anyone I know?” he grinned, his glance never leaving the TV while he zapped trough the channels. He finally stopped at a cartoon, everything else too boring or flat out stupid.

“You okay with Spongebob?”

She pulled her legs up on the couch leaning onto his side.

“Yep. Haven’t seen this episode yet, I think…”

By the end of the episode the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom had managed to blow up everything in their town, even the squid, while running around with torches after a butterfly in a bubble.

By the end of the episode they were making out shamelessly on the couch not noticing the sponge wave his goodbyes.

“So… what do you say about a forth orgasm… and a fifth… and a sixth?” he asked leaning down to kiss her again.

“You will need a wheelchair to get me into work tomorrow… got one?” she smiled back.

“What, you can afford a penthouse but no wheelchair?”


	8. Temper

She had quite a temper.

That’s what he learned the next day when they got a new case.

She got paged as if all of the patients of the hospital suddenly flatlined and all doctors had suddenly lost the ability to use a defibrillator.

When she arrived at his conference room she was confused to see his assistants all gathered inside there instead of being with the patient.

On the board House had written ‘Carmen Electra’, Cameron and Chase looking as clueless as she did.

Hannah sat down and waited for anybody to say something. Finally House arrived, not looking at anyone of them.

“Woman, 30 something, came in with pain in the leg”, he started, being interrupted by Chase.

“We got Carmen Electra here?”

House looked at him with a stunned expression.

“Really? Where?”

The two women frowned and rolled their eyes. House turned back to the board.

“Nope, no such luck. But I rather think about some leggy legs instead of those… well, let’s say, it’s not pretty… She’s running a fever, high heart rate and has an inflammation at her ankle…”

He turned around to them.

“Any suggestions.”

“Maybe she hurt herself… tetanus?” Chase started.

“Nope, no spasms”, House replied.

“Could be a dog bite, snakebite… did she say something like that?” Cameron asked.

“Nope, well, maybe yes, but my Arabian isn’t quite as fluent as it used to be… could also be Turkish, there’s many ü’s in the report. Yet there are no wounds, so no.”

“So, the report is from a foreign country. She got it on vacation then”, Hannah said, not asking.

He looked at her, a bit confused but told himself that he just had to get used to her sitting on Foreman’s chair.

“Shouldn’t we get an interpreter?” Chase asked, while Cameron next to him shook her head.

“Her heart’s getting weaker every minute. No time.”

“I’ll talk to  her”, Hannah said, rising from her chair and started to leave the conference room. House rammed his cane onto the floor.

“We’re not done yet!” he growled.

She didn’t even jerk but continued her way out of the room.

“We’re just guessing”, she said marching through the door. Two surprised eye pairs followed House as he madly thump-stepped after her.

 

He got lost once since he hadn’t cared where the patient was wheeled off to, so she was already standing next to the bed of the woman talking to her in a language he didn’t understand.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded to know and got himself a strange look.

“My job.”

This ‘I only answer directly to questions’ annoyed him right now.

“That’s not how a differential diagnosis is done!”

He stared at her.

She stared back, not even blinking.

Those black eyes irritated him. He could see her boiling on the inside and daring him at the same time.

“Get back to the conference room”, he growled.

“Don’t you want to know what’s causing this?” she growled back in a low tone, that sounded ten times more dangerous than his.

“Aw, please, I thought you were over ‘The patient knows what’s wrong with him/her’”, he said while turning to leave and breaking eye contact first.

She was fast.

So fast he barely saw her move when she gripped his wrist and pulled him into the patients room, next to the bed. Then she grabbed the leg of the woman who gasped when it was lifted roughly into the vision of the diagnostician.

“I don’t see a thing except for she should be waxing soon.”

She grabbed a magnifying glass from a tray next to her, lifting it to the swollen red area.

He saw two tiny white dots.

“Spider bites”, she growled letting the leg fall down on the bed.

“Do you need me to find out where she was in her holidays and which of this little creeps are crawling around there?” she asked, still staring him in the eye.

“No”, he answered softly.

“Good”, she said leaving while a surprised smile appeared on his face.

Boy, she had balls… and was mad at him. Not a good combination for him getting lucky today…

“If you need me, I’m in my office”, she hollered over her shoulder while she headed towards the elevator.

Hmm… didn’t they say the reconciling was the best…?

With some very vivid thoughts he disappeared into his office, only to stick out his head two seconds later looking at his ducklings.

“It’s a spider bite. Find out where she was camping and get an antidote. Go, make Daddy proud!”

 

He once more occupied himself with clinic duty, since Gameboy and iPod wouldn’t help, and eventually even delivered a baby who would have to live with the name Malte until the end of his life. He briefly wondered if it was normal for people to name their children after the furniture they were conceived on.

He hadn’t even realized that it was far beyond his quitting time when Brenda stuck her head into the room telling him that he just sent away the last patient.

Even the ducklings had checked out already.

It was raining again and he growled at the weather when he slowly limped over to the Institute of Genetics.

The light in her office was still on.

And she was still mad at someone.

At least he thought so when her mobile phone came flying through her open door and crashed onto the opposite wall of the floor breaking into a thousand pieces.

With her shouting “Never call me again!”

Sure as hell wouldn’t.

He carefully stepped around the corner, watching her breathe heavily, clenching and unclenching her fists.

“You okay?” he asked getting an angry glare.

“Go away, Greg…”

Angry red spots appeared in her face, her breathing more laboured.

He closed the distance gripping her arm.

“You sure you okay?”

She was fast.

So fast he barely saw her move.

She had him pinned against the wall behind him so forcefully that it knocked the breath out of him.

“I expected you around noon”, she growled into his mouth, kissing him hard before falling to her knees ripping open his jeans.

He stared at her shocked. If that was what he got when they were arguing… his head rolled back against the wall when she started to suck him.

“God, Hannah…”

He would never tell her that he had actually busied himself with paperwork at that time to keep himself from coming over.

He wouldn’t have wanted to go back…

 

When she was done with him they strolled over the campus aimlessly. She had her hands buried in the pockets of her coat, looking thoughtful.

He stopped briefly to swallow one of his Vicodin.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she asked with a small voice.

“Only my ego this morning, but don’t worry, it’s big enough to take that”, he grinned at her. She didn’t seem to believe him but started walking again.

“That was my former employer on the phone.”

He arched an eyebrow at that. Providing him with information without asking?

“Wants you back?”

“Wants me to do things I can’t agree upon with the oath I took…”

That sounded weird. He watched her carefully.

She turned to look at a big building.

“Where are we here?”

Also House had to look around.

“Gym.”

“They got a pool in there?”

He frowned while she walked on passing the building, leading him to the parking lot.

“I think so. Why?”

“Just want to know. I won’t apologize for this morning”, she said without looking at him.

“There’s no need to. I can manage people who are telling me straight in the face that I’m being an ass.”

He reached the driver’s side of her car before her and opened her door, not stepping out of her way, though.

“So. Mine or yours?”

She smiled at him.

“Mine. Have to get out of these damp panties…”


	9. She was fun

She was fun.

He realized that when he realized that he was laughing more.

Right now he was sitting in the cafeteria not listening to Wilson, but watching Hannah and Cameron eating their lunch while mocking a TV show.

When his female minion had found out what research Hannah was doing she was more than interested.

She asked her if she could take a look and suddenly got involved being the expert about cytokines and chemokines flowing through the body.

He had never seen Cameron laugh that much.

The two women were sinking their teeth into some kind of sandwich while mocking the eating habits of the participants of America’s next topmodel.

As if the two of them wouldn’t win that easily… his woman of course before Cameron.

Then he wondered where that had come from.

He decided not to bother and started to grin at himself, what caused Wilson to interrupt himself in the story he was telling, looking at him confused. His eyes followed House’s, seeing the two women giggle together.

He was right with the bestest new friend for Cameron.

And he had decided that it wasn’t a bad thing, since the two of them shared a liking for Victoria’s secret. And it was his job to approve of the new things Hannah bought…

“I think you were right about her”, Wilson said.

“Whom?”

“Your new neurologist. I just didn’t think that Cameron would…” he trailed of.

“Yeah, aren’t they a nice couple?  Don’t forget to fetch our tuxedos later…”

“This time I won’t let you win. I practiced my pokerface!” the oncologist stated, looking forward to the Casino night at the hospital this evening.

House had returned to watching the two women, muttering an “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say…”

 

She did scrub up very well, too.

Well, he’d known that before, but it didn’t  hurt mentioning.

His brain switched off when he saw her in her orange dress, being a color point in the short blacks most of the women were wearing.

If he hadn’t forgotten his score against God already he would have given himself another point when she closed up to him.

“You look great”, he whispered and grinned at himself when she blushed a little.

“You look great, too”, she answered letting her eyes travel over him, stopping at the silver handle of his cane.

He just grinned.

“I feel like James Bond today… with a cane, of course. Think I can get the babe?”

She just cocked her head.

“Depends.”

“On what? I’ve even shaved today!”

“I see. But the babe wants to learn how to poker today. And you might also have to feed her…”

“You mean, I have to work for it today? Man, that’s hard.”

Wilson had spotted his friend and waved at him to join them on the poker table. House nodded back.

“So, you’ve never pokered before?” he asked.

“No.”

“Well, then come on. I’ll show you.” He extended his elbow to her, pulling her towards his body when he led her to the table. When he had seated her, he took the chair next to her.

“Guys… and Cuddy! We’ve got a newbie here. Try not to steal all of her money!”

They had the dealer explain the rules and asked for the permission to let House help her in the first rounds. So he curled his arm around her waist, whispering helpful stuff into her ear and things that he hoped would make her blush again.

 

That’s when he learned she had one hell of a pokerface.

The first two rounds they lost. Then she knew what was going on and started to win their money.

In the fourth round they forbid House to help her and made him sit on the other side of the table, facing her.

She smiled at him once, when they picked up their cards, then the pokerface was back on and he was sure he had created a monster.

He couldn’t figure her out. Wilson was tapping his fingers on the table and didn’t recognize it when he had a good hand. Cuddy always started to sip on her drink. The surgeon on the other side couldn’t help but smirk.

She did nothing. She had her cards in front of her and just sat there, looking at them with dark eyes. She almost always threw some chips into the middle, not hurting her, ‘cause the pile in front of her was growing steadily.

He was lucky, having two flushes in a row when the pile in the middle was really big.

She didn’t even blink when she lost half of her money, but started to win it back.

There were only four people left on the table, Cuddy, Wilson, who knew some of House’s tricks and Cuddy’s sign, himself and Hannah.

It was Cuddy who groaned finally.

“Okay… all in.” shoving the last of her chips into the middle. Wilson looked at House and the neurologist, both of them staring at each other.

“Aw… what the heck.” The oncologist threw his last chips into the middle as well.

House and the woman threw in the same amount without even blinking.

Then she turned her head toward the dealer.

“Can I raise, if I want to?”

The man nodded and she seemed to think about it for some seconds before shoving her pile into the middle.

Cuddy and Wilson simultaneously dropped their cards on the table.

“I’m out.”

“Me too.”

House looked at her carefully, searching her face for a sign what was going on in this gorgeous head.

There!

The corner of her mouth twitched.

He decided that she was bluffing and shoved in his pile as well.

He had nothing when they both showed their cards. One pair.

Her nothing was a little bit higher pair than he had.

He’d lost but didn’t mind. It had been a thrilling game, and he’d had fun.

She was grinning at him while she helped the dealer to build piles out of the chips.

“You can pay me back in sexual favors”, he stated making the crowd around them who had watched the game go silent.

Her expression didn’t change a bit.

“What? The blowjob from a few days ago’s not enough?”

They both started to laugh loudly.


	10. She's been watching them...

She’s been watching them for some days now.

She was happy that there was another female in the team.

They liked each other, and Hannah gave her the chance to do some really important research, even offered her to coauthor some papers on the role of cytokines in cell development.

She was surprised that House let her.

She was surprised by making an appointment with a colleague to go shopping. She hadn’t done that in years, they were all girly talk, and she liked it.

She should have seen it the day she had been introduced to them, when House told her his first name.

He was leading her to the buffet, shoving them into the crowd.

She could see his hand on her waist… it was easy to make her out, being the only colored spot in a crowd of black. They had picked out their dresses together, hers perfectly matching her hair, while Cameron had chosen one in dark red.

He turned his head towards her, his hand not leaving her waist and she stuck something into his mouth, he smiled at her while he chewed.

He looked happy.

With a sigh she turned around to Chase and smiled at him.

“One hell of a game”, he stated, oblivious to the strange actions of their boss.

“Do you want to drink something?” she asked him, still smiling.

 ***

She’s been watching them for some days now.

To be exact, she was watching him.

He’d changed his behavior.

Not the being grumpy and rough to clinic-patients or stuff, not the only one critic patient at a time rule.

He was actually doing his work.

She wondered how long he would be like that, when he came out of the crowd around the buffet, with her holding two plates.

He was looking around for a table, and when he saw that all were occupied made his “Come on” gesture with his cane towards the elevator.

She couldn’t help but follow them

She stopped at a corner from where she could look into his office and thought they wouldn’t see her.

Hannah was sitting on his desk, eating her food, with him loungeing in his chair, feet popped up on the desk, grin on his face.

She was wondering what was going on.

House never felt comfortable with someone else, that was something she had learned even before he was hurt.

Even Stacy had freaked him out every few days, finally destroying their relationship, making him even more bitter.

Finally, Lisa Cuddy turned around to leave the two of them alone.

He seemed happy at the moment.

He should enjoy it…

 

“Is she finally gone?” He was too lazy to get up from his chair and put his empty plate down on the floor.

“I think so.” She didn’t move, her long legs dangling from his desk.

“Maybe you should take a look.”

“Maybe I should stay where I am. I just realized that I had 4 vodka martinis down there…”

She was wondering how in the movies they were able to stay on their feet after two gallons of whiskey in such a poker party.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her softly.

“Are you going to take advantage of a tipsy girl, Mr. Bond?” she smiled while she leaned her head against his shoulder and opened his fly.

He caught her fingers and kissed them lightly.

“Yep.”

Then he shoved her off his lap and stood up.

“But first I’m going to win my money back!”


	11. Nothing hurts like a stubbed toe.

He had to laugh when she kicked off her high heels the moment they burst through his door, without even unlocking their lips.

He appreciated that she pushed him carefully backwards through his dark living room so he wouldn’t stumble or fall over something.

She had pulled his jacket and shirt off within the next five steps roaming her small hands over his chest, when he heard a sharp “Ow!” and she let go off him.

“You okay?” he asked into the darkness where he could barely make out her form, hobbling around.

“Ow, ow, ow! Shit, shit, shit!” she murmured with every hobble, holding her right foot.

“Hannah, are you…?”

“I stubbed my pinkie-toe on the… don’t know what we just passed there… ow…”

“I think it’s the coffee table. Wait a sec.”

She heard the thumps of his cane and suddenly the lights went on.

She was still holding her foot in her hand, what caused him to smirk.

“What?”

“For having had 9 vodka martinis you’re pretty stable on one foot” he grinned while she made a face at him and put her other foot down.

“I’m dying here from a stubbed toe and you are mocking me”, she pouted, turning around to his bedroom again.

“For that I’m pulling down my zipper on my own!” she threatened disappearing in the room.

“Don’t you dare!” He followed her as fast as he could. He’d been fantasizing about doing that the whole evening!

He caught her hands before they could reach behind her back, throwing his cane somewhere to the floor.

“Don’t you dare”, he growled again, his hands resting on her waist and slowly gliding to her back, up to the zipper.

He pulled it down slowly all the way then, helping her to step out of the bundle of fabric when the dress had fallen to the floor.

In the faint light from the living room falling into the bedroom he could see her in a bra he’d never seen before and matching panties.

“New?” he asked, his fingers caressing her breasts where the silk ended.

“Like it?”

“Yes. Now get out of it.”

She opened the hooks on the back obediently and threw the bra to the floor. When her fingers reached her panties he stopped her again.

“No.”

He steadied himself with his hands on her waist knowing she could take his weight and guided her to the bed. He climbed on it after her, bending over her body to kiss her on her lips.

Her fingers wandered to his belt but were caught again.

“No. You just lay there.”

He kissed her once again, kneeling over her, most of his weight on his left leg, the other one yet supportive. With his tongue he drew a wet line down to the hard nipple he always played first with and he knew it would cause her to moan when he closed his lips around it. Laying down on his side he could also use one of his hands to gently grope her other breast.

“You’re liking those two, aren’t you?” she sighed.

He lifted his eyes not letting go and watched her, head thrown back, eyes closed… one hand on the back of his head lazily stroking his hair.

He silently hummed with the nipple still in his mouth, making her shiver.

When he decided that he had played enough with those two he continued his path down to her navel, making tiny circles with his tongue around it. His hands grabbed at her panties and she was being a good girl, lifting her hips so he could peel them of.

She cried out in surprise when his tongue briefly brushed her clit, before he returned to her navel, watching her breathing get faster.

His hand reached up to caress her breast again, his eyes never leaving her.

“Please…”, she whimpered.

“Please what?” he whispered hoarsely, his breath on her body making her shiver again. His hands were caressing the inside of her thighs now, his long fingers touching her almost there where she wanted.

“Greg… please…”

He’d never heard her say his name before when they had sex.

He let his tongue slide over the narrow line of hair between her legs, sucking her clit into his mouth and entering her with one long finger so unexpectedly that she arched her back moaning louder than he’d heard her ever before.

So much for ‘I’m no screamer’.

This time he would make her scream.

He flicked his tongue over the hard bundle of nerves in his mouth while stroking her expertly, hearing her protesting loudly when he withdrew the finger.

“No no no no…”

She arched her back once more when he obediently entered her again but added a second finger. He could feel her muscles grip his fingers already, could feel her shiver when he grazed his teeth over her clit.

He sucked at her one last time really hard, her inner muscles pulsing around his fingers, her fingers clawing the mattress, while she locked her legs behind his back, arching her back until she was touching the bed only with her head and her ass.

“Grrrr… aaah!”

Then she went slack.

 

He scooted up until he could kiss her, pressing her down with his weight, letting her feel what she was doing to him.

“Almost”, he smiled against her lips.

“Hey, at least I got the first two letters right”, she panted, her fingers this time not being stopped when they moved to his belt.

He removed his shoes and socks before he stepped out of his trousers and boxers, waiting for her to calm down a bit.

She was rolling to her side when he joined her again, again stopping her with what she was doing.

He turned her on her back again.

“Today I’m on top.”

She grinned at him, not protesting.

“Okay, Mr. Bond.”

He had to laugh at that, before kissing her because she didn’t say “But your leg?”

Entering her slowly because he knew she was still hypersensitive he could feel her fingernails stroking over his butt, what made him shiver.

He could feel her left leg wrap around his right one stabilizing it when he thrust into her.

He buried his head in her neck, holding her as tight has he could while stroking her clit with the other hand, making her come again, not sure if he thought or screamed her name when he finally climaxed.

 

 ***

 

He was drifting into sleep when he felt her lift her head from his shoulder, disappearing into his bathroom. First he thought she would take a shower, not that he minded her sweaty body next to him. They could shower together in the morning.

When he heard her rummaging in one of his closets he opened his eyes and switched on the small lamp on his side of the bed.

She returned to the bedroom, switching on the one on her side.

She was holding tape from his first aid kit.

“Are you okay?”

“I think it’s broken”, she said calmly, pulling her leg towards her so she could see her toe. It was swollen. She did what every other doctor would have done: Tape it to the next one.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, knowing that of course it hurt, having curled her toes two times not even ten minutes ago with full force. Nothing hurt like a stubbed toe.

She just nodded and slid under the covers again, switching the light off and closing her eyes.

He opened the drawer next to the bed, taking out one of his Vicodin-tubes, fishing out one pill. After thinking briefly he broke it in the middle and gave her one half.

“First visit tomorrow: Radiology.”

She swallowed the pill dry, just like he always did.

He had hardly killed the light and moved back under the covers when he felt her head back on his shoulder, her arm over his chest.

“G’night, Greg…”

“Good night, Miss Moneypenny…”

He could hear her giggle still in his dreams.


	12. Mad at you.

She took a cab to her hotel the next morning to change before she let them x-ray her toe at the hospital.

House couldn’t wipe the grin of his face when he entered PPTH, disappearing into his office, turning up the volume of the stereo.

 

Chase growled at Cameron an hour later.

“If I have to listen to ‘Can’t buy me love’ one more time…”

She looked at the diagnostician, lounging in his chair, apparently asleep.

“He seems quite good natured today.”

“Yeah, maybe got laid yesterday.”

She didn’t look as shocked as he had expected her to be.

“Do you think, he and Dr. McLachlan could maybe…”

He frowned at her at that.

“You haven’t heard it yet?

The young immunologist rolled her eyes.

“Heard what?”

“Well, rumors say she’s a lesbian and… erm…”

“And what?!” She started to get impatient. Chase looked as if he wished he hadn’t said anything.

“And what, Chase?!!”

“Well… doing… you…”

 

House almost fell out of his chair startled awake by the shrill “WHAT??!!” his female duckling screamed in the conference room.

 

 ***

 

Wilson jumped out of his chair when his door was pushed open so forcefully that it crashed into the wall.

“Jesus, House, are you crazy?!”

“You couldn’t keep you goddamn blabbermouth shut, could you?!” the diagnostician barked, stepping into the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Why the hell do you have to blab around every silly story I’m telling you?!” House ranted on, staring the smaller oncologist down.

“I still don’t know what you’re talking about…” the brown haired man stuttered, getting a mad look from his friend.

“Hannah doing Cameron.”

“You were convinced she’s a lesbian… look at the two of them! I mean…”

“God, Wilson, now I know why you’re divorced 3 times… They’re just friends! Women are like that when girlytalking!” he growled.

“So, she doesn’t do Cameron?”

“She’s not lesbian, for Pete’s sake!!!”

With that House turned on the heel, slamming the door once again behind him.

 

Ten minutes later hospital gossip said House and Wilson had broken up. Which left everybody hoping that it wasn’t true. House without Wilson as voice of reason…

God help us all…

 

 ***

 

He tried to busy himself once again with clinic duty, but couldn’t concentrate on the teenager in front of him who babbled something ‘bout skinproblems. He prescribed her the pill without a snide remark and told her to go to a gynecologist next time. One girl less he had to tell that her sick stomach was caused by a 5 month old fetus growing inside of her, like he had to with the girl before her.

He hated it when their eyes watered, when the “What do I do?” came and they looked at him as if he had the cure for everything.

He didn’t know what they should do.

After two hours he just couldn’t sit there anymore.

He clocked out, ignoring the look nurse Brenda sent him and limped off to the Department of Genetics.

In front of her office he automatically lifted his cane to knock but then decided to use his knuckle.

A sharp “Come in!” made him frown.

He put a smile on his face, before opening the door, sticking his head in and asking: “How’s the pinkie-toe?” he got a short “Broken” as answer.

He opened the door fully and went into the room. She didn’t even lift her head from the article she was reading.

“Still hurts? You know, I could spare…”

“I’m mad at you!” she interrupted him and he gulped.

“Why?” He knew why and he still had to ask.

He could see fire burning in her obsidian eyes, while she was growling at him.

“Cuddy called.”

“Well, I didn’t show her how to use a phone. She must have figured it out alone!” he tried to mock, but it didn’t sound right.

She just stared at him for a while.

“She said she wanted to tell me before I found out by chance. Apparently scuttlebutt says I’m a lesbian. Doing Cameron.”

He stared back. Scuttlebutt?

“You a military chick?”

“Don’t you dare and try to distract me! Why the hell would anybody say something like that?”

He wanted to lie. He really wanted.

“Wilson blabbed it around after I…” was what came out.

The anger didn’t vanish. But now she looked shocked too.

“Why would you…?”

“Hell, if I knew that…” Running his hand over his face he dared to look at her and sighed.

“Wilson was asking for you, Chase was checking you out, and I really don’t know why I said something like that… I really don’t…”

He watched her stand up from her chair walking towards him and backed away.

“I think I should go…”

She caught him at his wrist and stepped up to him, placing her arms around his waist.

“You will not be getting any for two days. That’s your punishment, just to make myself clear. And you will apologize to Cameron.”

He stared at her unbelievingly. Her eyes had gone soft from one second to the other and he didn’t know what it was that he had said.

“You got that?” she asked him, a soft smile on her lips.

“Yes. You’re not mad at me anymore?”

“No. I think I understand why you said it. I’m mad at Wilson for not thinking about whom it came from.”

He tried to kiss her at that, but she turned her head, grinning at him, when he growled.

“Nope… Not getting any for two days, Mister. Think about what you’ve done!”

“Wow, you’re tough, Miss teacher… and mean. Two days without any? What should I do!”

“I heard the clinic is short staffed”, she grinned stepping out of his embrace and watched him leave muttering something about two very long days when he closed the door.

She was still staring off into nothing a few minutes later.

Wilson and Chase had been interested in her and he had done something to make them lose their interest.

Like a little boy who didn’t want to share his new toy…

Like a grown man, afraid she would lose her interest in him when she met someone less complicated like Wilson or Chase.

Well… somehow she would have to show him that less complicated was more boring…

 

***

 

When he got back to his conference room, Cameron was sitting on her desk, doing his mail. Chase sat on the big table, chewing on a pencil while solving a crossword puzzle.

“Hasn’t one of your mommies told you not to eat your pencils?” he mocked the Australian who just frowned at him and continued to think.

Cameron had not stopped her work, as if she wanted to appear extra busy.

“Can I talk to you in my office?” he heard himself ask.

He wasn’t good at apologizing. That’s why he didn’t do it very often.

So now he sat there in his chair, elbows on his knees, forehead against his folded hands, eyes closed.

Thinking.

When he opened them again he saw Cameron still standing before him.

He lifted his head to let his chin rest on his fingers.

“Have a seat…”

She did what he said, still looking very confused under his blue gaze.

“I want to apologize for the rumors in the hospital concerning you and Dr. McLachlan”, he finally said observing her reaction.

Bad thing was, she didn’t react.

“I said something very inappropriate to Wilson about the two of you, and nowadays he seems to believe everything I’m saying.”

She just watched him and didn’t move.

“Cameron? Say something!”

“I’m not mad at you.”

“What?”

She smiled at him.

“I said, I’m not mad at you. First, I got used to that remarks long time ago. Second: You only said, Hannah was making googly eyes at me, and that we were a nice couple.”

“Oh, I see, Wilson was here already”, he growled.

“He is really feeling bad about this whole story. He said, he got tipsy yesterday and when somebody mentioned Hannah and me arriving together, he shared your theory with them. You should talk to him.”

House leaned back in his chair, growling again.

“No. I won’t be getting any for two days, so he’s not, too!”

He bit on his tongue after that, carefully watching his female duckling. She didn’t look shocked, had just stopped smiling.

“You like her, don’t you? And I want an honest answer.”

He just sat in his chair for some minutes, willing her to go away.

She stayed on the other side of his desk, watching him.

“Fine. I like her. You happy now? Did I break your tiny heart finally?”

She rose from her chair and started to leave his office when he sighed.

“Allison, stop. I didn’t mean that…”

To his surprise she turned around to him smiling.

“Did too.”

“Cameron, I…”

“No, stop that. Don’t try to fix me, I’m not broken. I’m happy for you. And there are other mothers with cranky, bitter, drop dead gorgeous diagnosticians as sons… I just have to look really hard”, she smiled, leaving his office and him wondering where she got that sarcasm from.

“How did you find out?” he hollered after her before she closed the door, suddenly happy he couldn’t see Chase anywhere around. Maybe he had eaten the pencil finally and was now in search of an eraser for dessert.

She just turned her head.

“After all, the being a genius, complicated one hell of a doctor, you are still only a man, Dr. House”, she grinned at him.

“You just can’t wipe that ‘I got laid’ smile out of your face, when you got laid, even if your life depended on it…”

“Girl, where did you learn words like that? Daddy’s going to blush!”


	13. Still not getting any.

When she arrived in the conference room after she got paged she only found House there and none of his assistants.

“I expected you two minutes ago”, he said, writing something down on his board.

“Well, I have a broken toe, I’m more hobbling than walking thanks to your coffee table. Where are your kiddies?”

“They’re with the patient. Pain in the abdomen and lower back, witch gets switched on and off…” he said, turning around, when Chase came jogging.”

“She’s fine now, but she’s had five attacks in the last thirty minutes…”

House just stared at him.

“How old is she?”

“52. Do you have anything in mind?”

“Hmmm… that’s normally too old for…” House began, when Chase’s beeper went on again.

“She’s having another attack.”

“How long since the last?”

“Five minutes… it’s getting faster.”

House grinned at himself.

“Tell Cameron to do an ultrasound.”

“Why?”

The diagnostician rolled his eyes.

“Well… I think she has a parasite.”

Chase looked at him wide eyed.

“What parasite would do something like that?”

“The one you buy little clothes and name after some kind of furniture from a Swedish furniture store”, the neurologist next to him grinned and finally even the Aussie got it.

“You mean she’s…? She’s 52!”

“So what? My mother was 54 when she had the last of my siblings!” she cut him off.

Chase finally wandered off to tell the woman that her pain was most probably labour, while House stared amused at his neurologist.

“54?” he asked.

“Yes. And my parents are still acting like they just fell in love. It’s embarrassing.”

“If you talk to them it is, I assume.”

She just arched an eyebrow at the bitter tone of that and then winked at him, making him grin and shake his head.

“Think we can stop them from calling the poor thing Rakke or Malm or something like that?”

“I’m not going to be the midwife!” she said, starting towards the patients room.

She was definitely limping a bit.

He closed up to her, thumping his cane extra loudly to the floor.

“Wanna race me to the room?”

 

He was watching the woman on the bed from between her legs while she stroked the soft hair of her newborn daughter on her chest, and did his best not to smile when Cameron leaned in to get a better look.

“So much for thinking ‘Thank God, finally the menopause’” the woman laughed and he was impressed.

“Now I have to get all the baby stuff back I gave my older children”, she said, laughing even harder. She kissed the little baby.

“I’ve always wanted a girl… but with my luck she’s into soccer just like her brothers…”

“Have you thought about a name yet?” Cameron asked, having talked her through the pain while House and Hannah were busy delivering the baby who had decided to slow down it’s own birth a bit, after they had decided that it was too late to carry the mother into the delivery room. He looked around and found her sitting down on one of the visitor’s chairs in the room, taking off her right shoe, wincing when she parted her toes.

He heard the woman ask for Cameron’s name with her answering “Cameron”, without even thinking.

“I think, she asked for your first name”, he teased, causing his female duckling to blush.

When he looked again at the chair, Hannah was gone, but a man appeared on the door.

“Jesus, I thought the nurse had gone crazy…”

He didn’t look mad, though. His eyes never left his little daughter when he made the way to her bed.

“If just the boys would have been as easy as her. I wasn’t sick, I didn’t get really fat… and the next one you will be having ‘cause it still hurts like hell”, she joked while her husband stroked the small head.

“So, how do we call her?

House got up from his chair, leaving the rest to Cameron.

“I opt for something old fashioned. To many children running around lately with furniture names”, he grinned, the father grinning back at him.

“Your word in God’s ear… none of our daughter’s in law could be stopped from calling them Olaf or Bjǿrn…”

He was at the door, when the new father directed his voice at him again.

“You might want to take a look at the lady doctor out there in the hall. She looked a bit sick when I came by.”

 

He reached her just around the corner, where she was holding onto the wall, her foot not touching the floor.

“You know, for walking you need two feet on the floor. I know, this balance thing is overrated, but…”

“God, House, shut up!”

Wow. She’d never called him House before. It sent a chill down his spine. Thank God she was not a Cuddy-impersonator or he would have to hide from her.

She set her foot down, made a step and nearly fell.

“Shit. Goddamn fucking shit!” she cursed while grabbing the  wall once more.

“What did you do? And please in words that don’t start with f. You were perfectly capable of walking before.”

“I got under one roll of your chair in there when we delivered the baby. First I didn’t really… realize it (there he got with words not starting with f…), and now I can’t walk, bloody hell… can I say the f-words again, I really need to!”

He shook his head at her amused and then disappeared with a “Hold on” in one of the patient rooms.

Seconds later she heard an agitated “Hey, that’s mine.”

At his “Nope, not your name on it, I thinks it’s property of the hospital”, she had to smile and watch him in disbelief wheeling a wheelchair out of the patients room.

“Need a ride?”

After she got in it and the patient had calmed down, she heard him chuckle behind her when he pushed her towards the elevators.

“What?”

“I finally got you into this wheelchair you keep mentioning…”, he grinned, though this time he couldn’t be proud of himself for running her over with a chair.

 

 ***

 

“This is just fucking stupid!”

“Didn’t I forbid you the f-words? And now you will win every Gregory-House-Look-alike-Competition around here.”

“Except for the boobs and every other body feature. Uh, sorry, that began with f too…”

“Why, are we cranky when we have two broken toes and have to use a cane… do you hear me complaining? And by the way, it’s even the right leg, and your cane is cooler than mine. You definitely will be winning!”

She stopped walking, leaning herself on the cane, glaring at him.

“Greg, just shut up, before I elongate your celibacy!”

She was reaching into his pocket, taking out the Vicodin-bottle, fishing out one of the pills.

“Hey, I’m still not getting any and you’re eating my candy, too?!”

Thank God Cameron came around the corner with her stuff and her car keys, before he could talk himself into more than two days.

“Hey, Cam, how did they name the little creep?” 

Thank God he was so easily distracted.


	14. Two days in hell.

Around noon on the first day anyone in the hospital knew that Gregory House was in a mood.

He didn’t care.

He sat in his office killing spacemonkeys when Cuddy came in shooing him away to clinic duty.

It took him one and a half hour to annoy enough patients that she came and yelled at him for the first time.

It took him another thirty minutes to scare away all unimportant cases that could be cured with a hanky.

He spent another hour tormenting patients who really had a problem.

Finally Cuddy reappeared for the… he had lost track of how often she had yelled at him that day, actually. Anyways, she reappeared, this time screaming at him to please go back to his gameboy.

That’s what sealed the gameboy’s death.

Wilson came by to reason with him, and he actually threw it at him, still really angry.

When he finally limped out of the hospital at 4:30 everyone sighed with relief.

If House was living in hell, then he made life hell for the rest of the hospital, too.

 

They didn’t see the grin on his face when he passed the Department of Genetics on his way to the parking lot. He’d been way too nice the last few days. He surely had a reputation to lose and since his other hobby was lying on ice right now it was “Torment other people” time…

 

Around noon the second day they wondered why Cameron was the only one who could go into the lion's den without being even growled at.

He had solved two patient-puzzles before it was 10 o’clock that day and slept in his chair peacefully until Cuddy thought that he should actually work for the money they paid him.

This time it only took him half an hour before she screamed at him for the first time.

When she came next time to yell at him about an obese woman he had offended he had a kid in the room who told her that he was the nicest doc in the world.

He had just cleared the waiting area from idiots that thought they were dying from a simple cold by telling them that with medicine it would take them one week to get well, and without it would be seven days, when she reappeared.

She yelled at him to go back to his gameboy and he accused her that it was her fault that it was broken, refusing to leave the clinic.

Well, there was a first for everything.

Wilson tried to talk to him once but was hit by a bedpan.

Around 4:30 everybody was hiding from him, even patients, begging Cameron to do something to stop his rude behavior.

 

She and Hannah were laughing loudly at the inability of the people to cope with the cranky doctor. Both were slightly wondering why there were never serious consequences when he was behaving like this.

“He’s definitely not a dull person…”

“That he’s not, but very exhausting”, Cameron sighed.

Even if he had filled her in partly… well, he was a really good actor, not leaving her alone, since it would destroy the picture.

“You can tell him I will be in the gym around 6:30…” Hannah smiled.

“You’re not supposed to do sports with your foot.”

“Don’t you worry about that. I’ll be in the pool anyway…”

Cameron smiled back.

“You know, one day I might ask you, how he is… knowing him he’s already assuming we’re talking about nothing else anyway.”

“Well, then he has to learn that this’s not ‘Sex and the City’, and we do have other things to talk about than that he can make you come in less than five minutes and then plays with you for two hours mercilessly afterwards”, the neurologist answered with an evil grin.

The young immunologist just shook her head amused.

“I think I know why he likes you… you have a sharp tongue and the same humor. You don’t have a brother by chance, do you?”

“Actually, I have 8.”

“Any of them capable of the 5 minutes – two hours thing?” Cameron asked, not even blinking at the number.

“God, I really don’t want to know! But I can give you the phone numbers of the ones that aren’t married or still minors.”

“I might be coming back to you for that. And now I think I should go, before he really gives Cuddy a reason to fire him.”

 

***

 

He stepped carefully on the brown, wet tiles around the pool, not wanting to slip as he watched her swimming. She was the only one in the water, but some other people occupied the sauna or tried to pump their muscles.

She seemed to have seen him, now floating easily on her back.

“Wanna come in?”

“You have two broken toes!” he growled.

“I’m not using that foot. Is there someone grumpy out there?” she teased, making him growl once more.

How should he not be grumpy? She had said two days. The last hour he had busied himself with finding out that his celibacy didn’t last exactly 48, but now a little more than 62 hours!

“Now, do you want to come in or what?”

Actually, he did not.

What he wanted was her in his bed while he intended to take a closer look at that ticklish spot behind her knee, he wanted her sweaty, panting, screaming his name, when he…

“God, House, take those jeans off already and come in!”

By now she laughed at his shocked expression.

“Just leave your boxers on and trust me, okay?”

 

He had to admit that the water felt refreshing when he stepped into the pool, a firm grip on the banister.

And he was glad he’d put on the simple black boxers and not the ones with the green aliens this morning, when he saw her swimming around in the water, circling him like a shark his prey.

“You really shouldn’t be swimming”, he reminded her, turning around in the water, always facing her.

“I shouldn’t be doing many things, but where’s the fun in that?”

She was approaching him slowly.

“I wasn’t having any fun for the last 63 hours!” he growled, observing her movements.

“I don’t believe you.”

“I didn’t. And my gameboy’s broken by the way. That is all your fault.”

She was still too far away…

“I didn’t throw it at Wilson, that was you… and don’t tell me it isn’t fun for you to make Cuddy run down to the clinic from her office 20 times a day.”

Almost… just a little nearer…

“Okay… that was fun.”

She just grinned at him, her auburn hair floating around her when she moved on.

“But that was fun for my brain. Rest wasn’t havin’ any, just as you ordered.”

And then she learned that he could be really fast, too.

 

He grabbed her wrist pulling her towards him and growled, when his hands felt the fabric of her bathing suit.

“These two were missing those two”, he said, brushing his hands briefly over her breasts.

He was surprised when he heard her gasp.

“Seems they missed me to”, he acknowledged, big grin on his face.

“What did you think? You not getting any means I’m not getting any, too! I hope you think about that before doing something like that again.” She made that little pout thing that caused him to look only at her lower lip.

“I told you already that I don’t know why I said something like that about you. I’m still analyzing that…”  
He was once again caught by her black stare, locking with his blue eyes, denying him to look somewhere else.

“I don’t care if you tell everybody about me that I’m an alien with the ability to blow earth into pieces. But you pulled someone else into this… and Cameron has feelings, you know?” she mocked him while he frowned.

“Actually it was Wilson who pulled her into this… can we stop talking about that, please?”

She put her index finger on her lip, looking at him thoughtfully.

“Hmmm… Have you been a good boy?”

He shook his head, pulling her even closer to him.

“Nah… I’ve been bad… really, really bad. You might even want to spank me…”

She laughed at that, throwing her head back.

“I might consider that after my nightshift, yeah…”

The grin on his face disappeared.

“Night… nightshift?”

She nodded with an earnest face.

“Yes. I’m a doctor, we have those now and then…”

“I know that, thank you. You can’t do that to me.”

“I have no other choice, Greg.”

“Change shifts with someone.”

She was looking intently at him and he rolled his eyes.

“And yes, I know that sounds desperate and pathetic.”

“Well, then I think you’re lucky that I don’t have nightshift today…” she said with a small smile on her face.

“That’s fine then… You don’t what?” Now he looked really confused and she laughed again.

“I said I might think about spanking you after my nightshift… didn’t say I had it today… Gotcha!” she grinned.

“Trying to cure me with my own medicine, Dr. McLachlan? I should think about spanking you…” he growled.

“You can do whatever you want to me today… I thought I might spend my evening as a toy, what do you say?”

He said nothing, just moaned softly.

“But first I want to show you something.”

She put her arms around his neck, parting her long legs to slide them around his. Pressing her body against his he could feel her lock her legs behind his ass, leaving her practically sitting on his…

“I know I’ve got a boner, no need to show me”, the diagnostician groaned, placing his hands on her waist to hold her where she was.

“Yeah, I knew somebody would be happy to see me. But that’s not what I meant.”

He was already painfully aware of her nearness, the feeling of her body switching his hyperactive brain off better than any music or killing spacemonkeys could do. He almost didn’t hear the sound of her words, totally engrossed into the feeling of her warm breath next to his ear.

“How’s your leg?” she whispered.

His fingers gripped her waist harder when he realized what their actual position was.

He was standing on his two legs equally, carrying a beautiful woman… and it didn’t hurt.

The scientist in him knew it was because of the water holding most of his and her weight.

The rest of him was fascinated

“You could work with that”, she whispered.

Didn’t say ‘We can work with that’.

It was his decision and she accepted that.

“You must know I’m destined to screw things up. Sometime I’ll say or do something to push people away and they don’t come back…”

She smiled at his honesty.

“We’re at the screwing AROUND stage, Dr. House, not at the screwing up. As long as I don’t get bored with you I won’t let you screw up, though.”

“Just wanted to warn you. I’m a complicated man.”

As if her father hadn’t said the same things. And now he lived luckily with her mother for over 40 years now with a bunch of 16 children…

“’kay, I feel warned…”

“And maybe you should let go off me before we’re being caught by those sauna-freaks”, he added, shifting a bit uncomfortably.

“Why, are we modest today… they could learn a thing or two from us”, she grinned back, not letting go.

At that he crushed his lips on hers hard before gently pushing her from his hips and starting to swim.

“Three rounds. And don’t expect too much, I haven’t been swimming since rehab.”

 


	15. One night in heaven?

“Maybe we should get off the floor…”, she suggested when he was able to lift his head again from her shoulder, still panting.

“I feel perfectly comfortable where I am right now.”

“Well, you don’t have the remote of your TV under the small of your back, and the zipper of your jeans where it definitely shouldn’t be. Otherwise I would be pretty comfortable, too”, she smiled, kissing his flushed face, still entwining his right leg with her left one.

When he still didn’t move, she lifted her hips effortlessly to retrieve the remote and made him groan when he felt her squeeze around him.

“Ah… that’s better…”

He had moved his attention from returning to normal breathing to her breasts again, circling his tongue around her still erect nipples.

“I suppose we don’t even attempt to reach the bed or the couch this time, am I right?”

“Hey, you said you would be my toy for the evening. I was always told to play with my toys on the floor…”, he growled back, still engrossed in kissing the soft swelling of her right breast.

She forgot that she had wanted to ask him if they had closed the front door.

 

They lay next to each other afterwards, still panting.

She took some time to look around in his living room and noticed a cage in one corner. Some animal was running in a wheel.

“You got a hamster?” she asked amused.

“Nope, Steve’s a big fat house rat. I can take him into another room, if…”

“Hey, what kind of genetics chick would I be if I was afraid of mice and rats?”

House laughed.

“So, then let me introduce you. Steve McQueen, the rat who melted my heart. Steve, that’s my genetics chick, so look somewhere else.”

They lay still for another minute before House sat up, looking for his cane.

“I need a shower”, he declared, easing himself up from the floor and watched her get up, too.

“Wanna join me?”

“As tempting as this sounds… I’m starving. Mind, if I order something?” She pulled her skirt down, not even wanting to know where she would find her panties.

“Ah, yeah, I forgot. Your toes okay?” he grinned wriggling his eyebrows.

“Couldn’t curl them if I wanted to. Securely taped together” She draped her open blouse over her naked breasts and watched him disappear into the bathroom.

“There are some flyers in the kitchen. The Italian’s good, and the Chinese, too…”

 

When he reappeared she sat on his couch, one foot under her butt, the other dangling off the seat, a beer in her one hand, the remote in the other and was watching Ren and Stimpy.

She looked like she’d always been there…

He decided that it just wasn’t time for a freakout and sat down next to her, grabbing her beer and taking a sip.

“I hoped you would join me.”

She watched him, just turning her eyes towards him.

“You just had to say something.”

He snatched the remote from her other hand but didn’t change the channel frowning at the vision of the chihuahua climbing into the bellybutton of the cat.

“Food should be here in about half an hour.”

He didn’t ask if she had chosen italian or chinese, when she grabbed her beer back and slid to his side, resting her head on his chest.

“Why is this so easy with you?” she asked silently, listening to his heartbeat.

“I could ask you the same.”

They both laughed when the chihuahua was chased around by a fuzzy gray thing and continued watching the cartoon without speaking.

“I think I’ll grab a shower, too”, she suddenly said in a sleepy voice, not lifting her head from his chest. He watched her. She had closed her eyes, the hand with the bottle was drawn to her body, keeping it from falling. His arm was around her waist, his hand drawing tiny circles.

To his disappointment she really got up, blinking a few times tiredly. He wouldn’t have minded her sleeping there on the couch in his arms.

 

She shouted “Can I borrow one of your T-shirts?” just at the time he opened his door for the man who delivered their food. A big grin spread on the face of the delivery guy, when he shouted back “I’d rather have you naked for the rest of the evening.”

What he didn’t expect was her appearing on the doorstep of his bedroom.

Naked.

The delivery guy stared at her with his jaw on the floor, eyes wide, so House had to take the bags with their food out of his motionless arms.

“Is your new buddy staying for dinner then?”

Man, she didn’t even blush.

“Top drawer”, he said, shaking his head and watched her disappear into the bedroom.

She definitely wasn’t boring.

“Wow”, was the first thing delivery guy managed to say when he started breathing again.

He agreed with the guy.

“Yep. Definitely wow. And all mine. You can’t have any”, he grinned, the man grinning back.

“You’re a lucky guy…”

“Yep, and I intend to continue getting lucky after I’ve fed her, so how much do you get?”

 

“You know they will be fighting about who is allowed to deliver food here now”, he stated, when she came back into the living room in his Pink Floyd T-Shirt and a pair of his boxers and reclaimed her place on the couch.

“We’ll have our food in less than half an hour, just because they want to get a look at me”, she grinned back, grabbing sticks and a box with curry chicken.

In less then five minutes she was leaning against his side again and had the control over the remote. She quickly stopped zapping at a report about an U.S. missile hitting a hospital in a smaller town in Iraq accidentally, murmuring “Yeah, accidentally, sure”, before switching to MTV.

He briefly wondered what she could want to watch there, before Gregory House was introduced to the world of Southpark.

 

“You really understood what this little orange kid was saying?” He put his empty box down on the coffee table and leaned back on his couch, popping his feet on the table again.

“It is not that hard. You get accustomed to the mumbling. Just try the next episode.”

“The little creep got killed in this episode. You sleeping again?”

“He gets killed in almost every episode. That’s one of the running gags”, she explained laughing at his furrowed forehead.

“Wait until I show you ‘Drawn together’ or ‘Popetown’”

“You must have too much time…” he grinned, pulling her face up from his chest, so he could kiss her. She didn’t say anything at that, just slid her hand under his shirt, letting it rest on his warm stomach.

“Well… what else could I spend it with? I’m new in town, doctor…” she said with a girly smile on her face.

He shook his head at that and couldn’t help but smile back.

“Huh, so you need some friends, Missy. Know what… you could come over now and then, we could chat a bit, I’d fuck you until you scream my name, and afterwards, out of pure gratitude, of course, you’d cook for me or something…”

At that she had to laugh.

“Couldn’t cook to save my life, sorry…”

“Then I’ll have to stick to the fucking part…”, he said licking over her lower lip.

“Without the screaming part…” She slid her hand to his side, adding the other one under the shirt.

“I’m no screamer…”, she whispered before breaking the contact to his lips and pulled off his T-shirt, throwing it to the floor.

“I proved you wrong already once”, he grinned, when he scooted up on the couch, laying down on his back with her on top, her breasts pressing against his chest when she leaned down to kiss him.

“You comfy?” she asked when they both had to come up for air.

House looked at his stranger confused. She was straddling him, her hands were buried in his hair and his hands were on her nicely shaped ass. How could he not be comfortable?

“Want to prove me wrong again?” she asked breathlessly, while she was licking down her way to his chest and he growled because he couldn’t caress her buns anymore. Tiny wet kisses were placed on her way down to where her tongue followed the way of a thin line of hair disappearing into his pants.

“Want me to make you scream instead?”

Her hot breath caused him to shiver and he was a good boy lifting his hips so she could shove down his sweat pants, freeing his growing erection.

She took his moan as a yes to her question and ran her forefinger slowly along his shaft.

He had to close his eyes when he saw her lick her lips.

Seconds later he felt her kiss the tip of his penis ever so softly before her tongue took the opposite direction of her finger.

He groaned loudly and could feel how her lips curled into a smile, before her tongue circled him at the base and went up to the tip again.

When she repeated the motion he had a firm grip on the fabric of the couch, desperately needing something to hold on to.

Her tongue gently played with the tip, and every now and then she would slide her mouth over the whole length, sucking as she did so.

She could hear him with every stroke of her tongue, breathing heavily.

“Please…”

Her eyes focused him with an amused glare.

“Please what?” she whispered, kissing the tip again, licking his precum off her lips.

“C’mere”, he managed to get out between gritted teeth and she obediently scurried up until he could catch her head in his hands and pull her towards him for another kiss.

“Want to give me a coronary?” he asked playfully, before he let go off her and tugged at the boxers she was wearing.

She didn’t answer or even smile at that, just helped him pull them down. He saw the dreamy glance in her eyes when her hand reached down again and he had to throw his head back when she slowly guided him inside her.

She started that swaying rhythm again but this time he had other plans and thrust up hard, making her take a sharp breath. He sat up from his laying position, reaching around her and taking off the T-shirt before closing his arms around her, while she crossed her legs behind his back, creating his own pace. He soon had her moaning just like he was, before he added his finger on her clit to the game.

“Greg… ooohh…”, was her surprised reaction and he had to grin at that.

“Scream for me…”, he whispered into her ear.

Her rhythm became unsteady, and he decided to add a little more pressure when he heard a faint “Ain’t no screa… mer…”

Then her inner walls started to contract forcefully around him and he was barely able to hold her when she bucked, crying out his name.

And then he came... in powerful spurts, gritting his teeth and exhaling noisily with each one.

 

He felt perfectly comfortable with the weight of her body above his own, her head on his shoulder, her torso pressed against him, her long legs between his.

Then he felt her black gaze again.

“Hi”, she smiled and he couldn’t help but smile back.

“Hi”, he answered, caressing her back.

“You up for this shower now?” he grinned and didn’t get the shocked look he expected.

“Gimme a minute or so”, she smiled against his chest, listening to his slowing heartbeat again, and he couldn’t help but smile.

 

 ***

 

She felt him kiss her shoulder and couldn’t help but smile in her sleep.

“Again? You’re insatiable”, Hannah murmured into the soft pillow on his bed when his one hand cupped her breast again and the other around her waist pressed her back against his body.

He didn’t make any other movement, so maybe she would get at least some hours of sleep. Then his tongue slid over her shoulder up to her neck.

“We have to get up”, he told her with a rough voice, leaning his forehead against her warm skin. Only now she did realize that the body behind her was halfway dressed.

She turned around, sleepiness still in her eyes and looked into his earnest blue orbs.

“There’s been a mass carambolage. Cuddy paged all doctors, adding as many threats as possible to make sure I get in”, he told her in an amused voice.

She was out of bed two seconds later and started to gather her clothes, stopping at the blouse.

“You’ve ripped off almost all buttons”, she said, shaking her head when she was hit on it by the Pink Floyd T-shirt she’d been wearing before.

“Goes well with the black skirt.”

To his surprise she didn’t protest, just put on the shirt and then had to start her search anew for her shoes.

 

No one was interested in the two doctors arriving together.

Nobody said anything about the T-shirt of the female one.

Nobody noticed the smile that curled around the corners of his mouth.

Everybody was busy helping the victims of three tourist busses running into each other in the middle of the night, all of the drivers too long behind the wheel, the first of them falling apparently asleep, the other two too tired to react in time.

By the time all the hurt people were treated or referred to another hospital it was noon.

“Man, I thought that would never end.” House ran a hand over his tired face, grabbing his Vicodin-tube and took out two pills.

He swallowed them both dry and tried not to move his leg, because… well, it would just hurt even more.

Chase was still in surgery, saving one of the drivers’ life, Cameron had been here all night already and he had sent her home half an hour ago.

Hannah he hadn’t seen since…

Since they’d arrived here, and she disappeared in the OR.

She’d just ignored his ‘we should arrive separated’ plans and shoved him into her car.

“Nobody will care.”

That she had said, and now he knew she’d been right.

He gritted his teeth when he got up from his chair, heavily leaning on his cane. He’d been standing and running around for too long, most of the time limping without the cane because he needed both of his hands.

“I’ll take you home”, a tired voice behind him said, and he turned around too fast, almost falling back on the chair. He closed his eyes until the pain subsided and then looked at Hannah again. She looked paler than normal… or was that the thin stripe of blood just right above her right eyebrow, that she seemed to have forgotten when she cleaned up?

“I’ll just hobble to my office. I’ll be better, when the painkillers kick in”, he replied.

“No, Cuddy sent us home… seems she’s impressed by your efficiency. You had them sorted out in no time.”

House didn’t say anything at that. He’d done what he did best: Diagnose people. Rescue already tried to do that, but here in the hospital it had been him who had decided who would be treated immediately and who could wait.

One guy had tried to argue with him about why a ruptured lung would be more important than his broken arm.

He’d thought about a sarcastic reply but then decided that he just didn’t have the time.

“How’s your head injury?” he asked heading towards the exit.

“Died half an hour ago.”

He didn’t turn his head at the emotionless tone of that. Who knew better than him how hard you became in this job.

“I wish I could have done more, but the brain damage was too extensive. We can’t save everybody.”

He concentrated on walking by now, growling silently.

She didn’t say anything more until they’d arrived at her car and got in their seats. She’d just turned the key in the ignition and turned the car when he said: “The relatives didn’t take it well, did they?”

At that she set her jaw.

“Nobody takes death well. I just don’t like when I’m accused of incompetence just because they wanted to save money by letting them drive 14 hours straight, and then wonder that one of them falls asleep.”

“I had a big guy whining ‘bout a broken arm while I tried to reinflate a lung. World’s full of idiots.”

Hannah nodded at that and watched him out of the corner of her eye. His right leg was stretched out as far as he could, his hand clutching the scar protectively.

“Stupid busses”, he growled suddenly, now making her look at him in surprise.

“I had the evening and night planned out. Destroyed everything”, he growled with a mean grin.

She couldn’t help but shake her head at that… and smile.

“I think I’ll put you in a hot tub first… else your leg will be of no use.”

“Oh, I feel so used… you just want me hot and wet.”

“Oh, it’s getting even better”, Hannah grinned. “Afterwards I think I’ll drag you into bed.”

He frowned at her.

“To do what exactly?”

“Oh, you’ll see”, she answered mysteriously.

“What, if I want to know now?” He tried to pull his leg back to him and winced.

“You’ll sound desperate and pathetic. You don’t have morphine at home by chance?” she asked casually with another glance out of the corner of her eyes. If the two Vicodin didn’t help against all the pain, then he’d have to get something stronger…

“I have. But it’s not hurting THAT much.” She wouldn’t tell anyone, that he knew. But how would she react…?

She didn’t look surprised and didn’t even ask how he got it.

“Do massages help?” his stranger skipped the last topic and looked at him.

“Ah… yes, sometimes…” House was taken aback by the fact that she took it all so well. Illegal medication, and she just went on to how else she could help him without a debate.

She stopped in front of his house, looking at him with a soft smile.

“Then we try that before the tub, ‘kay?”

She was around at his door of the car before he had it even opened.

And he didn’t mind when she grabbed his arm to help him out.

 

 ***

 

She had him in his bedroom in no time, throwing his cane into a corner.

He didn’t stop her when her hands reached his belt and looked at her astonished when she didn’t move her hands.

“You sure you don’t want the morphine? It will really hurt in the beginning…”

House grinned at that.

“It hurts already. Will you continue undressing me now?”

She kissed his lips softly.

“As you wish, master…”

 

He tensed nevertheless when he felt her fingers on the skin of his right thigh, the remainder of his muscle hard and sensitive to every touch.

He leaned back and heard her whisper “I’m sorry”, before it felt as if electricity was coursing through his entire leg, sending his head into the pillows screaming in pain. When he could breathe again, at least it didn’t hurt anymore. Instead it felt numb and he had to concentrate real hard to feel the soft caresses.

“Jeez… what did you do?” he asked panting and she lifted her head, looking at him guiltily.

“Caused an overload in your nerves. It works better without warning. I’m sorry.”

He watched her kneading his thigh as if he was one of these overpaid soccer-players and shook is head.

“Don’t be. Rather show me the pressure point.”

She smiled at him.

“Will do. Can we go into this tub now? I’m looking forward to that for about 3 hours now…”

 

The warm water did help, too. He still felt his thigh, but it wasn’t throbbing or anything like that.

But maybe it was also the beautiful woman in his arms, between his legs, back against his chest, head on his shoulder and almost asleep that kept his mind of his bad one.

“You comfy?” he asked amused while he put his hand over her breast and wondered once more how perfectly it fit into his palm.

From her position she could kiss his jaw and he had to laugh when she did that lazily, humming an “Hmmm”.

He had to grin at that and started to caress the breast, his other hand spread over her stomach.

“I’m really tired, Greg”, came her silent protest.

“Who says that you have to do anything? And, by the way, I still have to thank you…” he replied, letting the hand on her stomach slide down a few inches to her groin.

“You could also thank me in bed, and I could return… ooohhh mmhhhmmm…”

He interrupted her sentence by parting her folds with one long finger, finding her clit easily and started to rub it.

“My turn to make you feel good”, he whispered into her ear and entered her with one finger, using now his thumb to caress her clit.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder, her eyes closed, lips slightly apart.

Her breast pushed against his palm when her breathing got heavier and he pinched the nipple softly making her cry out surprised. He moaned himself when she moved against his erection and increased his pace.

“Greg… please, let me…”

He stopped her from turning around and pushed a second finger inside her. That made her whimper and thrust against his hand at the same time.

“Please, I want you to…”

He once again stopped her and let out a surprised groan when he suddenly felt her hand circle around his penis, pumping him slowly, running her thumb over the tip now and then.

He decided then to send her over the edge, with her forgetting about him while she thrust her hips against his fingers, making these sweet little sounds in the back of her throat that he loved so much.

When she went slack he closed his arms around her, holding her close to his chest.

“Thank you”, he whispered into her ear.

“…welcome…”, was her faint answer.

She was almost asleep when he spoke up again.

“Still want to drag me into my bed?”

“Hmmm…”

“And what exactly are you going to do to me then?”

“What do you think about sleeping?”

Actually he didn’t have anything against sleeping, as long as it was with her in his arms… preferably naked.


	16. Angels fall first...

Foreman was back.

Actually he’d been back for some weeks now, but with his ‘Hey, I survived, suddenly I love everybody’ he just wasn’t Foreman.

But slowly his snide remarks and the manipulative, behind the back of others nature reappeared and Gregory House was glad about that. It meant that he didn’t have his somewhat constant bed companion right in front of his nose making him think about what they did last night rather than his actual patient puzzle. He’d even managed to decrease his clinic hours again, not always having to occupy himself somehow.

He’d also realized that Foreman couldn’t stand Hannah (maybe because she was a woman, smarter than him, or now and then won an argument with House without running to Cuddy), so he invited her over for a differential diagnosis every now and then just to bug the other neurologist. He proudly saw her winning every snide mark contest with his colored duckling.

Normally she was amused about his little hobby to annoy other people.

Today she was bitching at him.

Every other day he would have asked her aloud if it was this time of the month, but since he knew that it wasn’t he spared himself this argument.

Nevertheless he wondered what was going on in her beautiful head and that surprised him.

He walked to his board, taking his marker to cross out one of the diseases for his current puzzle with the swollen tongue.

She was marching up in front of him and demanded that he let her actually see the patient. He denied it with a soft grin. It wasn’t fun if she saw the patient. He’d realized that as soon as she had seen them she knew what was wrong, no matter what it was. That was no fun.

He just turned around to tell her that when the door to his conference room opened and a man entered.

“Who of you is Dr. House?”

House glared at him, willing him to go away, but the smaller guy with the disappearing hairline didn’t seem to get it that he was not welcome.

“Who wants to know that?”

“Oh, I was a patient here…”, the man said, smiling at him.

House frowned. When did they get it that they didn’t have to thank him? He had no interest in the patient, the interesting part was curing the illness… He sighed.

“I’m Dr. House.”

The man nodded, pulling something out of his pocket.

He was already aiming at him, when House realized that it was the woman next to him who shouted “Take cover!” and that this guy had a gun in his hand. He felt himself crash into his white board when he heard the shot echoing through the room and was surprised that it was only his leg that was hurting, and that the pain hadn’t changed. He saw the white coat of Hannah jump up from his side and thought he’d heard another shot, but she was moving forward, launching herself at the guy…

Two small hands touched his head.

Brave little Cameron. Jumped to his side…

He could see that Foreman indeed had taken cover under the table, which was somewhat ridiculous because the thing was made of glass. Chase sat motionless on his chair.

When he let his gaze drift again to the shooter, the man was lying on the floor, right arm sticking out in a strange angle, gun on the floor. It somehow reminded him of the knife that had fallen out of the robber’s hand when…

Hannah was standing over the guy, legs spread, her arms falling to her side just in this moment.

When she turned around he could see that the shooter’s eyes were blank and open.

Her eyes were white when she looked at him… or right through him and he thought he was hallucinating. Her gaze wandered to Cameron.

“He okay?”

“Yes. He missed him.”

“Good.”

He watched her collapse in slow motion, the coat seemed to need hours to fall apart, showing them the angry red spot on her stomach that caused Cameron to gasp in shock and Chase to finally get up from his chair yelling for help.

 

He just could think that God once again had beaten him.

Then the world went black.

 

 ***

 

He regained consciousness only some seconds later, Cameron still holding his head, nurses and security hurrying into his conference room.

Chase was at her side, pressing something on the wound, screaming something, but he didn’t hear him. His eyes rested on the shooter, who had destroyed his life once more before he was able to screw up himself. The guy’s eyes were still blank and open, he lay there as if they had forgotten him…

The sight made him sick, yet he couldn’t look away. It was better looking at the dead guy then watch her die…

The security guy looked for a pulse on the shooters body, while some nurses wheeled in a stretcher, and shook his head.

 

 ***

 

They had wheeled her away for an emergency surgery, and he was convinced she would die. When God beat you up, then he did big time.

So now he was sitting in his office, waiting for the bad news.

His brain had switched off and somehow he was glad that he couldn’t think about everything that would go wrong.

He just sat there, staring at his feet, needing all his strength to breathe and blink.

Cuddy had tried to send him home.

What would he do there? Everything would smell like her (of course he didn’t tell Cuddy that), every place in his home reminded him of her.

He refused to talk to her and she left his office.

Cameron had asked him if he needed something. He didn’t answer and she went off to… he had no clue where she went, and he didn’t care. He never did.

Wilson had stopped outside his office and looked in.

House had turned his chair to the window. He just couldn’t talk to anyone right now.

 

A soft knock on his door startled him and he was not sure if he had fallen asleep. He turned around to find Cameron standing there, an indefinite expression on her face.

“How…” His voice caught. He just couldn’t ask. It would make everything so real.

“She survived the surgery.”

“Then why don’t you make a happy face?”

The young immunologist sighed, taking the chair on the other side of his desk, sitting down heavily. He looked at her waiting for the bad news.

“She… flatlined once, but they brought her back. They could repair all the damage.”

That sounded good. Yet…

“I still don’t see a happy face.”

“All her readings a pretty normal…”

“Jesus, Cameron, then why do you pull a face like you lost your big sister? She’s got amnesia or something?” he growled and saw her sink into the chair.

Two seconds later he realized what that would mean for him.

“She has?”

Cameron shook her head.

“No… I mean, I don’t know… She’s still not awake… she should have woken up from anesthesia hours ago, and they can’t find a cause why she’s still asleep..”

A small tear ran down her cheek that she immediately wiped away.

“Go home, Cameron”, he said in a soft voice.

She looked at him surprised.

“Did you hear what I said? They can’t find out why she doesn’t wake up!”

“Leave my office, Allison!” he growled at her with his most dangerous voice and she did what he said.

She could hear something break inside the room but didn’t dare to look.

Some seconds later House stormed out of his office past her and got into the elevator.

 

***

 

The morgue was always quiet, but now it was nearly evening, so he could almost touch the silence. The uneven steps of the visitor disturbed it and made the ME look up from his current case.

“You got a name for this one already?” Gregory House asked, nodding at the guy on the table.

“Jack Moriaty. His wife is still sitting out there. And I shouldn’t have told you that”, the elderly doctor stated, making the last stitches to close the Y-cut on the chest of his ‘patient’.

House looked at the dead man. He couldn’t find any wounds, so…

“How did he die?”

“Someone broke his neck. Oh, and his right arm. Quite forcefully I have to say. You got any Marines in your team?”

“I don’t think so…”

He looked at the man for some more seconds, before he turned on his heels to leave the room.

In the hall indeed a woman was sitting. She reminded him of…

“Dr. House!”

… the obese one he had insulted on his second day in hell.

“Mrs. Moriaty.”

He stood there, leaning on his cane and watched the woman as she got up from the chair, groaning with every movement.

“He didn’t hurt you?” she asked, her puffy cheeks still wet from her tears.

“No, he shot my… neurologist”, he managed to get out and waited for the accusations that because of him her husband was dead. At least she wouldn’t run after him.

“I’m sorry. I hope he’s going to be okay.”

He stared her down.

“SHE is in a comatose state and I don’t know why your husband wanted to kill me!”

The woman started to cry again, her chest heaving with every breath.

“He is… was angry at me… I complained about your rude behavior when I was here, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what you had said. Maybe someone had to tell me in your words that only my weight was the cause for all of my troubles.”

She started to sob and he started to become impatient.

“And he’s angry at me because I told you if you weren’t eating everything within reach you would be able to climb more than two steps of the stairs before running out of breath and wouldn’t need a new tent every 3 months?”

“He was angry at you because I started to rearrange what I ate… I went to a fitness studio… I didn’t let him control me anymore…”

House blinked.

“He’s a feeder?”

“I’m sure he loved me. But I couldn’t love anymore what I was… I’ve lost 8 pounds already, and it feels good. Oh God, I’m so sorry.”

House sighed and then made a step towards her.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about. You didn’t shoot her. And I don’t think it’s the bullet wound that…” he trailed off, his eyes suddenly narrowing.

“That what?” Mrs. Moriaty asked but House was already at the exit of the morgue stepping towards the elevator.

 

Allison Cameron started to smile when her pager went on.

GOT A NEW CASE! H was written on the small screen.


	17. ... if I will it all away...

Robert Chase and Eric Foreman were looking at their boss quite confused when he paged them far beyond his normal quitting time. Cameron was already in his office, a new white board next to his desk, marker in her hand. The three of them tried desperately not to look at the broken window between the office and the conference room. Cameron knew it had been him who had crashed his cane into the glass, the two other doctors were not sure if a bullet had destroyed it.

“Why don’t we go into the conference room?” Foreman wanted to know and got himself a glare out of those cold blue eyes.

“’Cause the police has everything secured and there’s a big blood spot on the floor? Ah no, I just thought it would be nice to sit in here like a nice big family”, House growled and the neurologist winced.

“Sooo… what’s the case, then?” Chase wanted to know, also glaring at his colleague, willing him to shut up.

“Woman, 33, got shot this morning, now doesn’t wake up from anesthesia.”

The young surgeon stared at his boss for some seconds.

“We’re treating Dr. McLachlan?”

“Yep.”

They were silent for some seconds.

“Why?” Foreman dared to ask and Cameron shot a fearful side glance at House. The diagnostician growled but then took a seat in his chair.

“Because I say so.”

“She’s in a coma. All readings are normal. CT shows no brain damage.” Foreman read from the report in his hands.

“Huh yeah, you’re right, normal readings and no brain damage are symptoms for coma, I must have forgotten”, House snapped ironically and Foreman put on his pouty face.

“I just wanted to say that this is one of the cases you say ‘Too boring’, and you’re right, because the cause for her coma is idiopathic and she’ll wake up eventually.”

House just glared at him, so Foreman continued.

“And you feel like you owe her because she saved your life. You should rather beat up security because they let a guy in here with a weapon.”

The diagnostician still didn’t say a word. A grin appeared on the face of the neurologist.

“I’m right!”

“You can leave my office now, Dr. Foreman”, House said in a calm voice, not looking at his duckling but standing up from his chair, walking towards the board.

“What?”

“From the rest of you I want every possible cause for a postoperative coma.”

He wrote ‘Sleeping beauty’ on the board, then turned around glaring at his neurologist.

“I said you should go, Foreman.”

“You need a neurologist on this case!” Foreman protested.

“Why? She’ll wake up eventually. Go, look for a more interesting patient. You will present him to me tomorrow at 10:00 sharp. And God help you if it isn’t really interesting…”, House growled with a dangerously low voice, turning back to the board, writing down ‘allergic reaction’.

Foreman looked at him for some seconds, then got up from his place and left.

 

Of course Cuddy came running half an hour later. They were through a lot of causes already and House was writing down ‘Posttraumatic stress disorder’, when she burst into his office.

“Who the hell gave you this case?”

House stared at her, tapping his forefinger to his chin.

“I think it was this anesthetist who couldn’t wake her up. Was really glad to get rid of her…”

“And why did you throw out Foreman? He’s your neurologist!”

“Well, I thought, since he was sure that the cause for Dr. McLachlan’s coma was idiopathic I’d find something else for him to do.”

“You told him to find himself his own patient!”

“Yeah, you know, I’m the head of the department of diagnostics, so I thought, he should diagnose someone for the money the hospital pays him…”

Cuddy looked at him, how he stood calmly in front of his new white board, staring her down with his annoyed glance.

“She’s just another puzzle for you.”

His expression didn’t change.

“Oh Cuddy, you’re reading me like a book. Now, can I do my work or was Foreman also telling you some other tales?”

“He’s not telling tales…”

“No, he just comes running to you every time I made a decision he doesn’t like. I know you’re my boss, but I’m his boss, and as much as many people beg to differ, most of the time I know how to do my job. I’m so fed up with him running to Mommy every time Daddy says no.”

He turned around to finish the word ‘disorder’ and Cuddy stared at his broad shoulders that blocked her view on the rest of the diseases. The dean of PPTH sighed.

“He will be presenting a patient to you tomorrow.”

House stopped briefly at the second d, then finished the word, not turning around. Cuddy didn’t say anything more and left his office.

 

Foreman was waiting outside of the office for her, looking at her expectantly.

“You will be presenting this patient to him tomorrow. And I’d rather find something interesting if I were you”, the dean growled at him, watching the grin fade in his face.

“You agree with HIM?”

She stared the neurologist down.

“He said something that made me think everything over. You can’t always come running to Mommy, when Daddy’s said no.”

With that she left him where he was, checking out for this day.

Foreman just stared after her confused.

“I can’t what?”

 

***

 

Chase went off to do some tests. He had sent Cameron to find out if her family had been informed yet and to get her history.

He leaned back in his chair, taking his iPod out of the drawer of his desk and put the plugs in his ears. Turning up the volume he started to think.

 

A feathery touch woke him. Blinking tiredly he saw Cameron in front of him, saying something that sounded like a Sonata Arctica song. Very appropriate… The Gun. Then he realized that he still had the earplugs in and pulled them out.

“You should go home, House. She won’t run away…”

“Chase found anything yet?”

“I crossed out what he could exclude until now…”

House looked at his board. The list was shortening. That was good. Or bad, when Foreman was right and it was idiopathic, which meant they were the idiots who couldn’t find out what was wrong…

“Tell Chase he can check out. You reached her parents, and got her history?”

Cameron sighed.

“What?”

“I reached her parents. They’ll be coming tomorrow. But with her file, there’s a problem.”

“What problem? It should be here by now, she’s working here long enough.”

“I thought that, too. Then I was referred to her former employer.”

House frowned. So what? Her former employer should send the file, finito.

“I called there, not really hoping to reach anyone at this time…”, Cameron continued.

He stared at her impatiently.

“Cameron, you know how much I hate it when you let me guess what you found out.”

“I got connected with a Colonel Starling of the US Marine Corps, who told me very directly that her file is top secret and will not be transferred to here.”

She was surprised by what he said next.

“I knew she was a military chick.”

Shaking his head he focused on his immunologist once more.

“You can go home, Cameron. Talk to her parents tomorrow, maybe they know something.”

“What about you?”

He grinned at her.

“You know I don’t talk to parents if I don’t have to.”

“And you know what I meant.”

He sighed at her glance and then got up, grabbing his backpack.

“I’ll go home, too.”

“Wow, that was fast…”

“Knew you wouldn’t stop until I did… I wonder if Foreman has found his very interesting patient already…”

 

***

 

It was easy to think of her as only a patient when he was at the hospital. He had managed not to think that it was the woman he… liked… lying there. He had thought it would also work at home.

If he just willed the thoughts away, that she was more than just a patient.

Then he saw the second toothbrush in his bathroom and turned off the light, deciding to shower the next day.

A pair of high heels lay on the floor next to his couch and he shoved them under it, deciding that watching TV was also a bad idea.

In his fridge there were still leftovers from their last order from the Chinese. That he couldn’t ignore because he was hungry. So he ate her chicken curry and threw the empty box in the trash.

The bedroom was really hard. The bed was unmade and he knew what they had done this morning right before getting ready for work. He’d even emptied a drawer for some of her clothes so she didn’t always have to go back to the hotel before coming to work.

His Pink Floyd T-shirt lay on the floor, where he had thrown it this morning, and he almost tripped over her running shoes…

He ran a hand over his tired face and sighed once again.

At least she was not dead.

And he would find out what was wrong.

What he would do then he didn’t know.

Stepping out of his jeans he threw his cane and his jacket to the floor and crawled into his bed.

It felt so empty in there…


	18. Trained to kill

Nurses stood together whispering, some of the doctors just stared in disbelief when Gregory House entered the hospital the next day at 08:00 sharp. He never arrived at this time. Never. NEVER!

His corvette normally stopped at his handicapped parking space some minutes after 10, with him pulling a face as if he had been thrown out of bed only ten minutes ago. Even with his motorcycle he never was on time. Never.

House threw his backpack under his desk and sat down in front of his white board. Two more diseases were crossed out, what left him wondering who was here already.

On second thought, he knew that it was Cameron and started tapping his cane to the floor. He just couldn’t sleep anymore, he always woke when she got ready around 7 for her jog around the block. Normally he would turn around and be sound asleep again when she reappeared and jumped under the shower before leaving. She never even attempted to make him get in early.

“Why don’t you try to change me?”

“Because if you wanted to go to work at 8 in the morning, you would. Who am I to tell you what to do?”

Her answers had gotten longer within the weeks he had known her.

And today he wanted to go in at 8 o’clock in the morning.

Staring at his board he got up from his chair and crossed out another cause.

If she had an aneurysm they would’ve blown it already.

Sighing he sat down again, wondering what everybody was doing so early at the day.

Five minutes later he decided that staring at the board was a) boring and b) wouldn’t cure her, so he got up once again heading down to the clinic.

 

He was telling an overly protective mother that antibiotics wouldn’t cure the cold her daughter had and found himself smiling at the four year old with the golden curls and big blue eyes, who was shamelessly flirting with him and found it quite amusing that the big doctor could whirl his cane around like a propeller while he told her mother that she was stupid. A knock on the door let him turn around, expecting Cuddy to yell at him about something. But it was Brenda who reminded him that he wanted to return to diagnostics at 10 o’clock. The mother looked at him wide eyed and he couldn’t help but grin.

“Yeah, I’m the head of that department. You believe me now that I know what I’m doing?”

Foreman indeed presented a patient and had the right diagnosis, but since it was the guy they had been working on when Jack Moriaty had interrupted them, he wasn’t really impressed. They had narrowed him down on three diseases, so his neurologist had a chance of 33% of betting on the right one.

“I want another one tomorrow”, he said, nodding at the man in the hospital bed and leaving the room, Foreman hot on his heels.

“You said one patient, House!”

“Yeah, now I say another one. Show me what a great diagnostician you are, then maybe I’ll give a damn about your opinion. And don’t even try to whine at Cuddy.”

Foreman turned around and started to walk away, mumbling: “Why am I the only one around here working?”

A loud growl and the sounds of a cane being smacked against the wall reminded him of the good hearing of his boss.

“The only thing you are doing, Foreman, is complaining and sawing on my chair. If you are so unhappy here you are free to go.”

At that the neurologist turned around, staring into the cold blues of his superior and decided to be brave.

“You handpicked me. I’m your neurologist, and you know that you need me.”

Bad decision.

“There’s thousands of neurologists as good as you or even better that would kill to get this job.”

“Like Dr. McLachlan? Sorry, but in the moment she’s nothing more than a withered tomato in a hospital bed.”

Bad decision number two.

“That is a very inappropriate way to describe my daughter, don’t you agree”, a female voice behind the two of them said, causing both doctors to turn around.

She had her mother’s eyes. Black with no clue to tell where pupil and iris met. Foreman’s mouth stood open thinking about an excuse while House just looked at the woman.

She was smaller than Hannah, with black hair and a tanned skin. What surprised him most was that he couldn’t exactly tell how old she was. Sure, she had a few wrinkles, and he bet she dyed her hair, but other than that… she was wearing jeans like a 20 year old, a pink pullover under a leather jacket. And that with a body most women would kill for. But she could have been 40 or 60 and he couldn’t tell.

She extended her hand.

“You must be Dr. House. And you, Mr. Neurologist, close your mouth. Don’t want to catch flies, do we?”

He took her hand and shook it while Foreman snapped his mouth shut, still staring at Mrs. McLachlan.

“I was showing her the way to Hannah’s room”, Cameron spoke up, staring at Foreman.

“Foreman, stop checking out Dr. McLachlan’s mother and find yourself a patient”, House growled not watching when the doctor turned around.

Of course he was heading into the direction of Cuddy’s office. He didn’t have to look to know that.

“I’m sure he’s running to your boss now”, Mrs. McLachlan stated matter of factly.

“He always does”, House sighed, leaning on his cane.

“So. Then take me to my daughter’s room.” She looked at him, when she said that and her eyes told him that she wouldn’t take a no as answer.

 

She didn’t rush in to try and wake her daughter. She stood at the end of the bed, watching the motionless form in the bed intently.

House tried not to look at his stranger. She was so pale, and looked so small in this bed. She just didn’t look like the woman who broke the thumb of some braindead robber or launched herself at…

“Where’s the guy who did that to her?” Mrs. McLachlan asked, focusing on him.

“In the morgue. She broke his neck.”

She didn’t seem surprised but Cameron gasped at that.

“Your security must be a joke then. If some crazed out guy can come in and aim a weapon at her…”

“Actually, he was aiming at me”, House heard himself say and got stared at really intently. Boy, if those eyes were lasers he would’ve had two holes in his body now.

“You better find out what’s wrong with her. I didn’t give birth to 16 children to let some idiot human being shoot them”, she growled, going to the head end of the bed, caressing the cheek of her daughter.

House just stared at her. Hannah had told him that her mother had been 54 when she had the last of her siblings. She never told him she had 15 of them…

“We hoped you could help us with that. We don’t know why she is in coma, and her former employer refuses to give us her file”, he heard Cameron say.

“What could be in her file to help you?”

“Well… since she was in the Marine Corps… maybe where she was stationed could give us a clue, or if she was ill and how she was treated back then…”, Cameron said to the older woman who was still looking at the sleeping neurologist.

The mother still caressed her daughters face whispering: “It was only a few broken bones back then…”

Cameron looked confused at her boss, not having understood what Mrs. McLachlan had said.

He heard himself say: “I need to talk to you, Mrs. McLachlan.”

 

***

 

He placed the woman in a chair in front of his desk and then limped around it, dragging his chair with him so he could sit near her and didn’t have to talk to her over the table.

“How old are you?”

She frowned at him.

“What?”

“I’m guessing since I saw you. Tell me?”

She smiled at him and shook her head amused.

“I’m 65. And before you have to ask: No, I hadn’t anything done, except for the hair.”

“Good genes then”, he decided, leaning back in his chair, his cane on his lap.

“Oh, you don’t know how good”, she smiled back mysteriously, then her expression went back to earnest.

“She was stationed in Iraq two years ago with the medical staff. Her convoy got attacked by some whacko F18 fighter hero thinking it was a treck of Saddam’s friends trying to reach a red cross station. You know what they call something like that? Friendly fire! Ridiculous!”

He stared at the woman wide eyed. That was something he had not expected.

“She left the military after that?”

“I think she wouldn’t have. That was one full metal idiot trying to be the hero of the day. The survivors sent one emergency call after the other. Their answer was to stay down. And then the Iraqi came.”

“They didn’t send someone to help them?”

“The pilot had told them that he met an enemy convoy. They didn’t believe them! Some idiot couldn’t read the timetable of the medical staff. For them they weren’t out there.”

House started tapping his cane to the floor.

“What happened then?”

“They had to defend themselves. Don’t understand me wrong, Hannah’s trained to kill like every other marine, but she’s also a doctor, and she normally acts after her oath. Here she had to kill people who tried to kill her , one other doctor and two nurses who had survived the fighter jet. She couldn’t save them, and she doesn’t know until today how she made it to the camp…”

He normally thought that he was good at reading people.

Hannah must have been better at hiding.

“She left the military then?”

“Oh no, they even gave her some medals for her bravery and for being hurt in combat and God knows what. She broke the nose of the first General who had the balls to congratulate her. They court martialled her then.”

So she had been thrown out…

“They  promised her that if she would apologize nothing would happen, but all of my children are so goddamn stubborn. She called all of them hypocrites and signed her resignation. You should have seen their faces…”

House smiled at himself. He would have liked to.

“Why do you tell me all of that?” he asked her then.

“Because she’s never been ill except for a broken arm and a few scratches before and after that incident.”

House got up from his chair slowly, turning around for his board.

“Never?”

“Never.”

He slowly grabbed the red marker and drew a circle around one of the possible causes.

Mrs. McLachlan watched him with narrowed eyes.

Posttraumatic stress disorder.

“What I told you stays in this room”, she ordered with a voice that was accustomed to giving orders.

He turned around.

“You knew when you saw her, didn’t you?”

“Only when you said that the shooter was aiming at you.”

He smiled at the woman.

“Ever thought about getting a PhD. in diagnostics?”

“No, thank you, I have already my doctor in law.”

He stared at her in disbelief.

“You’re the McLachlan that sued Lowell Cosmetics after the owner infected a fed with the plague!?”

“Life and in color.”

Boy! And he did her daughter!


	19. Father's eyes

So now he knew why she wouldn’t wake up.

Great.

That didn’t mean he would find out how to wake her up anytime soon, and that made him grumpy.

Foreman’s second patient wasn’t any more interesting than the first, but at least he could follow his ‘Torment Foreman’ hobby, extending it to Chase, and eventually also to Cameron, when she tried to talk some sense into him.

Now each of his ducklings had his own patient and he had three more or less interesting puzzles to solve when he wasn’t in the clinic, tormenting patients.

In the evening when Brenda threw him out he would wander into diagnostics, casually strolling by her room, looking through the glass walls. She never moved.

Sometimes, he saw a nurse change the bandage on the bullet wound.

Tonight, he saw a man standing outside the room, while the nurse was inside. When she saw him, she left the room, approaching him.

“He’s standing there for 10 minutes now. I can’t chance the bandages when he’s watching, doctor House.”

He rolled his eyes. Hannah hadn’t minded the delivery guy seeing her naked…

“Close the blinds?”

“I have 12 other patients. I don’t have time for that!” she complained and House sighed.

He stepped next to the man who stared at the sleeping neurologist inside, his hands in his pockets.

“She’s the only redhead in our family. Don’t know where that came from”, the man said with a deep rough voice.

House watched him out of the corner of his eye, trying to estimate his age. As with Hannah’s mother he got no other clue than some tiny wrinkles around the eyes and a little gray in his short black hair.

“The nurse shooed me out as if I hadn’t ever seen my daughter naked.”

“Maybe didn’t see similarities…”

The man turned his head to him and made him change his opinion.

She had her father’s eyes.

Almond shaped with dark long eyelashes. Black as obsidian. Looking at him as if he knew exactly what his daughter was going through just now.

A muscular hand touched the window and then slipped back into the pocket of faded jeans.

“Do you have any clue when she’s going to wake up?”

House leaned on his cane and shook his head, looking at the motionless body in the bed.

He missed her.

He missed their bickering when they fought over the remote control for the TV, or if they should order Chinese or Italian.

He missed how she looked when she ran around in his house wearing one of his shirts.

He missed how she kicked off her high heels the moment she came through the front door and how he always had to be careful to not trip over them.

He missed the weight of her head on his shoulder when they fell asleep in each others arms…

Her father had never averted his gaze when these thoughts ran through his head, but now turned his head to look at his daughter again.

“For how long have you been seeing her, before that happened?” he asked casually and it didn’t sound like a question but more like an ascertainment.

The eyes of the two men met again and House knew that lying wasn’t a possibility this time.

“Since the day before she started working here. How did you…?”

“Don’t worry. You’re good at hiding. It’s the way you look at her. It’s like how I used to look at my first wife when I realized that I was just as weak as every other man. I swear it were her blue eyes. When she looked at me with those blue eyes my brain switched off. And that felt so good…”

“In case you haven’t noticed: Your wife has black eyes…” House tried to joke but got himself another laser-glare.

“Zoe’s different. Don’t get me wrong, I love her with everything I have and I’m surprised that I still do after more than 40 years now. With my first wife… we were absolutely different – we hated each other for a really long time, argued about everything and I’m still truly surprised that nobody got killed…she nevertheless managed to tame me… I don’t know why I’m telling you that” he groaned, closing his eyes.

“I know what you mean”, House admitted.

“I’m usually not good with people. I’m grumpy, direct, mean, and if you ask my assistants they’ll tell you some things that you really wouldn’t like on the man seeing your daughter. I liked her the moment she broke that robber’s thumb. And I normally don’t like people.”

Her father shook his head and smiled.

“She wouldn’t be one of my children if she didn’t find someone who isn’t boring.”

“Well, right now she’s the one being dull. Just laying around playing sleeping beauty.”

The older man laughed at that.

“Tell her that. Maybe she’ll wake up…”

As if he wouldn’t have tried that already. But.

But in real life a kiss just didn’t work against coma.


	20. If you fall, I'll catch...

“I want it removed.”

Lisa Cuddy jerked in her chair, when he entered her office without knocking, just as always.

She just couldn’t get used to that at 8 o’clock in the morning.

“And good morning to you, Dr. House…”, she sighed turning her attention back to the file she was reading.

“I said I want it removed.”

“I know. I just forgot my ‘House-speak’-dictionary at home, so I don’t know what that means.”

He growled at that smacking the rubber foot of his cane on the floor. She briefly wondered how many dents there were already around the hospital.

“I want the carpet removed.”

He said in a tone as if she should know by now what he meant. Leaning back in her chair she looked at him.

He sighed and leaned on his cane.

“The carpet? In my conference room? With a big red spot on it from that shooting last week?”

“We had it cleaned as soon as the police was gone.”

“Yep. Spot’s even bigger than before. Chase always looks as if he’s going to faint any minute when he sees it.”

She frowned at him.

“You’re kidding me.”

“Okay, it is Foreman. I didn’t know that he was such a sensitive guy… Nah, you wouldn’t buy that. Cameron’s getting watery eyes in there…”

“House!” He was even more unnerving so early in the morning.

“Jeez. Just replace the goddamn thing. It looks like a slaughterhouse in that room.”

With that he left her office, turning towards the elevator.

 

 ***

 

Wilson looked into the room of the clinic surprised to see House sitting there with a woman who was only in her bra.

“I got paged.”

“Yeah. I have a patient for you”, the diagnostician said without looking at the oncologist. Wilson looked at the woman that sat somewhat frightened on the bed and he wondered what House had said to her.

“How can I help you?”

She glanced helplessly at House and Wilson was even more surprised. Not only did House actually do his clinic hours, he also treated patients, not just fast-diagnosed them and threw them out.

“She found a knot in her breast”, House said directly, turning around to him.

He looked tired. Wilson hadn’t really spoken to him since this lesbian-incident with the head of genetics, and now regretted it.

“That’s your specialty, isn’t it?” the diagnostician snarled, running a hand over his face and then signed some papers.

Wilson didn’t answer that and watched him get up with a groan. When House left the room he could see that his limping was more pronounced and he started to worry.

 

When he was finished with the woman, assuring her that the knot was still very tiny and she most probably came in time, Wilson went to look for House.

He didn’t have to go far, since the diagnostician was in the next room, saying goodbye to a young mother with a toddler that found his cane very interesting. The little boy was holding onto it while standing up, grinning at the tall man.

“Try to get as much rest as possible. And you little devil let Mommy rest, so you get a healthy sister or brother, okay?”

Soft House? He really had to be tired.

The toddler giggled, making his mother smile. When the boy let go of the cane and grabbed House’s leg her smile faded.

“I’m sorry…”

“No problem. Tell your husband he should help you more. He’ll be running around really soon.”

With a loud giggle the boy let go off his leg and landed on his diapered butt.

When she was gone Wilson still stood at the door and watched him swallow a Vicodin.

“Are you okay?”

House stared at him and got up from the chair.

“No.”

Then he stepped around him towards the elevator.

 

***

 

“I said no.”

And he did it really loud.

Foreman had his eyes narrowed, trying to stare his boss down. Which was quite a task since the man wasn’t even looking at him but shoveling a pile of paper from one edge of his desk to another to find a place for his feet to plop up.

“We’re presenting three cases and are practically sitting on each other! This is ridiculous! Right next door there’s a big conference room!”

“All of you have a problem with that?”

Foreman hollered “Yes!” for all of them, with Chase looking at him somewhat relieved. Cameron stared at her feet.

“I… can’t we wait until the carpet is replaced?” she asked getting surprised glances from House as well as from the other two ducklings.

“Wait. We’re sitting in here like tuna in a can because you can’t look at the blood of…”

“Shut up, Foreman!” House growled, this time staring the neurologist down without even putting effort into it.

“But…”

“Present your goddamn case, Foreman!”

That sounded so angry that the neurologist just did what he was asked to.

 

He told Cameron to stay when the other two doctors left for their patients.

“You don’t have to defend me”, House said, opening one of his journals. She tried to get a look at what he was reading and recognized the word ‘posttraumatic’.

“I didn’t defend you. I really don’t want to go in there.”

“I know why I’m refusing to be in that room. Why are you?”

She frowned at him.

“A friend of mine was shot there? I was in there! And I feel guilty as hell!”

He was confused now.

“Why should you feel guilty?”

She took a deep breath before she answered.

“Because I’m glad she was there… else he would have shot you! I’m glad it was her!” she whispered before she turned around and fled out of his office.

House looked at his door for some seconds, then returned his gaze to the journal.

Wilson stood at the corner and watched the scene. He couldn’t hear what it was all about, but he decided that he had to talk to House.

 

***

 

He had waited at the parking lot for half an hour when he realized that House wouldn’t quit at 4:30 and asked himself how he could have missed such dramatic changes. Wilson walked back into the hospital and once again could hear how House and Foreman fought.

Looking into the office it was obviously over a patient so he didn’t disturb them.

Around 7:30 the motorcycle still stood at the handicapped parking spot mocking all the people who had to walk a mile to their cars. He knew the ducklings had checked out already and once again went to look for the diagnostician.

He found him sitting in a chair on the wall opposite to the room Dr. McLachlan lay in, tapping his cane to the floor.

“You’ll only make the nurses go crazy with that…” he said, sitting down next to him.

“They should be used to it by now”, was the silent answer. The tapping stopped.

“Are you okay?” the  doctor repeated the question he had asked him in the clinic.

House never took his eyes from the motionless body in the hospital bed behind the glass wall.

“No.”

“The leg?”

“That’s always hurting, sometimes more, sometimes less. In there lies a woman who got shot. By a man who was aiming at me.”

“You didn’t think that would bug you so much, did you?”

“Please, it already bugged me when you told around that I said she was a lesbian…”

Wilson hung his head at that.

“You still haven’t forgiven me that one.”

“Aw, please, that was forgotten two days later. I just thought you would come back a little earlier. Would’ve needed someone to talk to now and then.”

“We did talk to each other.”

“About hospital stuff. I had guy-things to talk about… I need to talk to you when I’m confused…”

Wow. That was honest.

“You can talk to me now”, Wilson said.

They sat there in silence for the next minutes.

“You been here every day since that happened?” Wilson finally broke the ice.

“I tried not to. Still, I find myself here every evening, watching her sleep.”

“She saved your life…”

“Yeah. What’s that worth if she’s in coma for the rest of her life?”

Again they were silent.

“You like her, don’t you?”

“She’s the stranger I told you about…”

Wilson stared at him unbelieving.

“She… oh my God.”

“Yes. Oh my God. Seems I don’t deserve to be happy…” House sighed.

“She… You and her… I knew that was your Pink Floyd T-shirt she was wearing that day with the three busses!” Wilson exclaimed.

House shushed him.

“Calm down! She’s not the first woman I had, you know!”

Wilson laughed at that and shook his head.

“And because of this lesbian stuff I missed some really good stories, I bet!” the oncologist growled, making House smile in turn.

“You will tell me every smutty detail”, Wilson ordered in a very House-ish voice, making the real one snicker.

“Come on, I’ll buy you a beer.” The oncologist jumped up from his chair, looking at his friend expectantly. House got up with a silent moan, the grin still in place.

“Jeez, you’re sounding really desperate.”

“Oh yes, and when she wakes up I’ll ask her if the make up sex was as wild as you will describe…”

Wilson watched his friend as he started to walk towards the elevator.

Even his steps looked tired.

But he still had this grin in his face when he turned around, asking: “You coming or what?”


	21. Sing in silence

He sat at his piano, fingers gliding over the keys easily, playing a melody that had developed in his mind only seconds before. He’d tried his guitar, but the piano worked even better than the iPod or the new gameboy Wilson gave him as a present.

He couldn’t sleep and knew all the articles he had at home by heart. The ones about posttraumatic stress disorder as well as the playboy and what else he had found. The articles in the playboy were surprisingly good. He had laughed at himself when he thought that.

Then he couldn’t concentrate anymore on the words before his eyes and had turned to music.

Hitting a sour note he stood up from the bench and grabbed his cane.

Walking up and down in his living room normally helped. Not against the thoughts in his head but against this throbbing in his leg.

And he couldn’t decide what was worse.

It should have been him in there.

He gritted his teeth and walked faster.

It should have been him.

His cane grazed against the back of his couch, pulling out one of the high heels he had shoved under it the day she was shot. He stopped and grabbed the black leather shoe.

Suddenly angry he cast it against the wall, hitting one of the paintings hanging there that fell down with the shoe.

“It should have been goddamn me in there!”

Suddenly really tired of everything he walked into his study to grab a metal box on top of his bookshelves.

Today it hurt THAT much.

 

***

 

The limping was better the next day, nevertheless he felt like chewed on and spit out. A headache had decided to torment him this day, and he let it out on his ducklings.

The two that were around.

Cameron somehow had decided that after her confession three days ago she should avoid him.

Around noon he decided that he just didn’t have the strength to fight Foreman this day.

“You know what? Do what you want. Kill your patient. I don’t care.”

With that he limped out of the conference room with the new carpet into his office, grabbed the iPod from his desk and marched off.

“Do you have to be so hard on him?” Chase asked, glaring at his colleague. (For everyone who hasn’t noticed until now: I just CAN’T stand Foreman!!!)

“Me? Hard on him? He’s the one who gives us one case after the other!”

“That’s our goddamn job. You torment him even though he’s got a headache.”

“Please. As if that would stop HIM to treat us like that”, Foreman snorted and Chase got up from his seat.

“You know what? You have no right to complain! You’re even more ignorant, selfish and arrogant than he is.”

With the little difference that you could like House despite these ‘qualities’. He had tried to protect Cameron when she refused to step into the room next to his office…

Grabbing his files the Aussie started to leave the conference room as well.

“And by the way: He’s right. You will kill your patient with this diagnose.”

“He’s not always right!” Foreman growled, but Chase had already left, hurrying after his boss.

 

“House! Wait!”

The surgeon wondered how the slightly disabled older man could be that fast with his cane.

“You were right with your guy. Stop bugging me!” House growled over his shoulder.

“You’ll really watch Foreman kill his patient?”

“Nah, already told the nurses to give him antibodies an hour ago. I’m not that stupid.”

As if he didn’t know that it would fall back on him when they misdiagnosed someone. When Chase finally reached him he stopped.

“What do you want?”

“What if Foreman wants to treat him nevertheless? Still could kill him!”

“I took him off the case. It’s no longer his patient.”

At that Chase sighed. He knew this would finally end in another argument, abusing the ears of everybody too near.

“He’ll be running to Cuddy…”

And her high voice hurt even more when she was screaming.

House’s hand disappeared into his pocket, pulling out the Vicodin-tube.

“I don’t care.”

“Wouldn’t aspirin be the better choice?” the surgeon asked softly and got a surprised look.

House looked at the tube and then put it back into his pocket.

“Yeah… maybe would.”

Then he turned around, walking away from his duckling.

 

***

 

“Will you wake up finally or do I really have to beg?”

He sounded really angry when he marched into her new room, real walls, no glass to be seen – despite the window. Why coma patients would need a TV he still didn’t know but grabbed the remote, sitting down next to her bed.

“Yeah, I know that sounded desperate and pathetic. You know what? I don’t care! Foreman’s been going on my nerves since you decided to not wake up after surgery.”

Leaning back on the chair he put up his feet on her bed, switching the TV on.

“Would have been better if you did wake up, though. Now you have to see a psychiatrist, or a psychologist. And yes, I also know that there’s no difference, and that all shrinks are their own best patients… jeez, I’m really talking to myself in here.”

He watched the news for a while, swallowing two aspirin dry, then remembering that he should drink at least some water with it. He stepped outside, getting a cup of tea at the nurses station and returned to the room, sitting down again.

She still hadn’t moved.

“Wow. You’re tough. I thought you didn’t like the news…”

He shook his head about himself, again talking to someone who most probably couldn’t hear him or wouldn’t remember that he’d talked to her.

Her parents didn’t do anything like that. They visited her for half an hour a day, preferably in the evening. Not talking to each other, not talking to the sleeping form in the bed. He’d also seen some of her siblings, all of them as dark as her parents, black hair, black eyes… it was somewhat funny to see four 10 year old children stand next to the bed, the spitting images of their parents, silent, earnest… concentrated…

None of them camped in the hospital, knowing they couldn’t really change anything by going on the nerves of the nurses.

What was really funny was the fact that suddenly he felt the urge to do that.

He’d not been in her room since he took the case.

Instead he had read everything he could find about posttraumatic stress disorder.

Still didn’t help against the fact she was still sleeping.

Sipping his tea he switched to another channel.

“Oh, Baywatch. Wanna bet how many mouth-to-mouth we’ll be seeing today?”

Somehow it wasn’t funny watching Pamela’s ‘funbags’ jump around as if they had a life of their own. For this series he’d need Wilson to watch.

He changed the channel again.

“Knight Rider? Did David Hasselhoff die or what?”

Well, at least there was the cool car.

He continued zapping, finally finding an old episode of General Hospital.

“Ha! Haven’t seen that! I think Cuddy was yelling at me that day because… uh, doesn’t matter. I wonder how the little nurse got pregnant…”

After 10 minutes he got bored.

“Jesus, will you finally go in there or does he have to send you an invitation?!” he growled at the nurse, drinking the rest of his tea.

Five minutes later the nurse was with her doctor and House switched the channel again.

“CSI. If that doesn’t wake you from coma, then I don’t know. Come on, let’s mock their playing laboratory with no clue of genetics! Or forensics… or common sense.”

A side glance to the bed told him that she still didn’t move. Not that he expected her to.

“You’re no fun.”

He continued zapping, stopping at Spongebob. About that he just could shake his head.

“I still don’t know what you like on them.”

The next channel showed the Simpsons.

He didn’t have the nerves for that right now and switched the TV off.

“Hey, I haven’t seen that episode yet!”

Obediently he put it on again.

“Sorry… I’m just… oh my…!”

He turned his face to the bed, being caught in her black gaze immediately.

“You’re awake!”

“With you making that much noise in here? Who the hell could sleep?!” Hannah grinned, turning her attention back to the TV.

“You okay? I didn’t hurt you when I tackled you before?”

He frowned.

“Ah… Hannah…”

“Hmmm? Wow, you must have a real good surgeon here. Almost don’t feel the wound. Or I am on real good drugs…”

“Hannah.”

She turned her head to him slowly, the smile faded.

“You’ve been in coma for the past 10 days.”


	22. Don't turn out the lights

“You are kidding me.”

She sat up in her bed, wondering how stiff her arms felt.

House just shook his head, his blue gaze resting on her.

“I’m not allergic to anything! And I’m so goddamn healthy! I’ve never even had a cold! Who the hell screwed up?” she exclaimed, outraged, her temper back, her black eyes glowing like coal in the fire.

“No one screwed up”, he said softly.

“Someone has to. Else it would be the same day and I wouldn’t have these damn hoses coming out of me!”

She ripped the IV out of her arm.

“Hannah! Calm down. No one screwed up.”

“Why else would I lay here?” She growled, lifting her blanket.

House got up from his chair when she moved her legs out of the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I know about the incident in Iraq. Do I really have to tell you what the guy with the gun caused in you? Brain’s a bitch sometimes.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Who came running then? I bet it was my mother. Did she tell you about the medals they gave me? I shoved this goddamn purple heart into the mouth of this hypocritical general the moment I had broken his nose! Looked really funny with my fractured leg.”

That her mother hadn’t told him. It also didn’t really matter now. He watched her heart rate climb into dangerous regions.

“You need to calm down, or you’ll go into cardiac arrest!”

She growled at him, ripping the electrodes of the EKG off her body and slid from the mattress.

He expected her legs to be wobbly and was surprised when she made her first steps steadily towards the door instead of falling.

He blocked her way.

She narrowed her eyes on him again a steep furrow appearing between her eyebrows.

“Get out of my way.”

“You are still MY patient. You go back into bed.”

She marched up to him, until their bodies touched, her eyes never leaving his.

“Do you want to know what I did to these poor idiots when they had the doc and the nurses killed?” she growled in a low, dangerous tone.

“I blew all of them up. They’d run out of ammunition already. I grilled them!”

With that she shoved him out of her way, not too gently, but soft enough to not hurt him.

She was fast. For just having woken out of coma she was really fast.

He could see Foreman coming out of the room of his former patient, yelling at the nurse who didn’t let him treat the guy.

“Stop her!” he heard himself yell while he was still watching her march through the hall. Foreman looked at his boss, then at the woman in the white hospital gown practically running towards the stairs.

He tried to reach her but was stopped by a laserlike sideglare.

“Touch me, you inferior human being, and I will kill you with my bare hands!”

He let her go. She was already through the door when House reached his neurologist.

“I said stop her!”

“She threatened to kill me! She already snapped the neck of the shooter”, Foreman defended himself but walked after House when he didn’t stop but marched to the stairs.

“She was shot back then and defending her life. Now she just woke up and is confused after 10 days of coma!” House explained, looking down into the stairway.

He couldn’t see her.

“Go down, find her! Her heart rate was too high. She’s going to collapse with that again if she doesn’t calm down…”

 

***

 

He didn’t find her. It was as if she had disappeared from earth and now House was on the warpath.

“Security really is a joke in here! A woman in a hospital gown can run out as easily as a man with a gun can come in”, he growled at the chief of security, while Cuddy was trying to come up with a plan and his ducklings searched the neighbourhood.

“Why the hell could she even run? She’s been in coma for 10 days!” the dean of PPTH growled herself, her gaze focusing on the head of diagnostics.

“Do I look as if I can read minds?”

“Would be good if you could. Maybe then you would’ve diagnosed her by now!”

He narrowed his eyes on his boss. He hadn’t told her about the posttraumatic stress disorder yet. It wouldn’t have changed anything about her comatose state, and he wanted to see how Hannah reacted.

She realized what she had said when he didn’t respond.

Falling into her chair she sighed.

“See, I’m sorry… We’ll call the police, and send someone to her home. It can’t be that hard to find a woman in a hospital gown.”

He doubted that.

She’d been a Marine… they normally knew their way out of trouble.

 

***

 

Foreman had tried to argue with him about the patient he had taken him off and was hit by the uncensored wrath of Gregory House.

He had actually called the hotel she still lived in himself and bribed the receptionist into calling him if she should see her.

Chase and Cameron were still out, and his neurologist really had the nerve to confront him with his former patient.

“Do I look as if I care right now?”

“He was my patient!”

“And you would have killed him.”

“You don’t know that!”

“I do. I ordered to give him the antibodies, and tadah: He’s better!”

“You didn’t have to take me of the case!”

“You don’t fucking listen to anything I say! You always do the opposite thing! And today I just didn’t have the nerves to deal with you. You don’t like it? Not my fucking problem!” the diagnostician growled and grabbed Hannah’s file from his desk racking his brain if Cameron had the phone number of her parents filed in there.

Maybe they did know where she would go…”

“It is your fucking problem! I’m your employee!” Foreman growled back, as always not knowing when it was time to stop.

“You’re a goddamn spoiled brat that just can’t take it when someone else is right! And now leave my office, I have more important things to do!”

“She killed a man in there!” Foreman hollered, pointing to the conference room.

“You ducked under the desk! She defended our lives!”

“That guy was after you!”

“What the hell tells you that he would have stopped after he’d shot me? You’re a coward, Foreman!”

“You fainted when she fell. Not a big help either!”

At that he stood up from his chair and Foreman made a few steps back. They all knew how lethal House could be with this cane of his.

“Go before I forget myself”, the diagnostician growled in a low voice.

 

***

 

He had decided to call it a day at 5:30, a first for the last 10 days. Wilson had looked into his office every ten minutes, Cuddy came twice, Foreman sat pouting in the conference room, Chase was back on some crossword, eating his pen again. He could feel Cameron’s eyes on him every time she thought he wasn’t looking.

Now he was walking up and down behind his couch, his phone on the ear, talking to everybody he could think of to be capable of help and wondered why he was doing that.

“Don’t worry too much. She’s stronger than it seems”, her mother assured him right now and he could hear in her voice that she was asking herself why the doctor of her daughter put that much personal effort into finding her.

“Don’t you worry? She just woke…”

“Of course I do. But losing my head won’t help anyone. She’s fine.”

A knock on his front door prevented him from asking “How do you know?”.

When he opened the door Zoe McLachlan heard him whisper “Thank God” into the receiver before they were disconnected.

 

***

 

“I’m sorry I snapped at you like that”, she said before he could even put the receiver down from his ear.

“Nah… Foreman said meaner things. By the way, he’s afraid of you.”

She hung her head at that.

He watched his stranger intently. She wore a pair of jeans and a sweater now, with sneakers on her feat. She was pale and her auburn hair hung somewhat lifelessly down her back.

“I assume the receptionist didn’t see you walking into the hotel”, he said, not sure what else he could say.

“I’m good at hiding…”

“Oh, that I know by now. I think I’ve found my master in that.” Opening the door wider he stepped aside.

“Come in.”

She walked into his living room as if she hadn’t been shot 10 days ago.

Then she moaned silently when she sat down on his couch, as always one foot under her ass and he was at her side immediately.

Checking the size of her pupils (okay, he was guessing… damn black iris…) and her pulse he decided she wouldn’t collapse any second.

“Do you want something to drink or eat?”

She shook her head with a soft smile on her lips.

“You don’t have even coffee in your house.”

“I could have changed that in the last ten… ah, forget that, I wouldn’t have changed it in a hundred days… Are you really okay?”

She tugged at his hand, making him sit down next to her.

“My body is okay. The rest is trying to come up with an explanation for my weird behavior this afternoon. They made me talk to a shrink after that incident. Until then I didn’t understand what was meant by ‘The guilt of the survivers’… Then they made me talk to a shrink again when I knocked out this general. By the way, I’m still mad at my sister that she agreed to that to get me out of the Marines…”

House looked at her confused.

“Hey, I knocked out a general. Normally I’d be still sitting in Leavenworth knitting socks or whatever they do there.”

“Does Cuddy know anything of that?”

He sure as hell wouldn’t have hired her with that background.

“She knows that I’ve been in a shooting when I was in the medical corps and needed psychological help afterwards. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

House shook his head at that.

“Don’t. She knows enough right now.” Actually that was even quite close to the truth.

“And what should I tell her when she asks me why I freaked out? Sorry, Cuddy, but I was the only survivor in a friendly fire attack and blew up some Iraqi afterwards. Now I freak when I see a weapon?”

“Well, I wouldn’t tell her that with the Iraqi. But everybody will understand the rest. And maybe you should consider that shrink again…”

She made a face at him.

“These guys are talking so much hot steam… I always have to fight the urge to punch them.”

He laughed at that.

“Who hasn’t.”

Once again he was caught in her black gaze, she looking at him thoughtfully.

“What?”

She averted her eyes, looking at her hands in her lap.

She’d never broken eye contact first!

“Oh… now you start wondering where that leaves us?”

“Well, I’m a basket case…”

Scooting towards her he let his cane drop to the floor, pulling her in an embrace.

“Please, who isn’t nowadays…”

She put her arms around him, too, leaning her head against his shoulder.

“He was trying to kill you”, she whispered.

“He almost killed you”, he whispered back, this time thanking the almighty bastard that she was still alive.

 

***

 

Carefully he removed the bandages on her wound, seeing that it was healing properly.

He grinned at her.

“I didn’t think I would have you here flat on your back in my bed today.”

He softly kissed the skin around the bullet wound on the right side of her waist, then placed a band aid over it.

She caught his head when he started to kiss her skin again.

“Stop this right now! I’m not on anything and knowing you, you don’t have any condoms here.”

He laughed, scooting up to her.

“Please, I could supply a small country in Africa with the rubbers in my nightstand.”

Pulling her into his arms he kissed her forehead as she put her head down on his shoulder.

“I’d rather bring you to the hospital, though”, he admitted then, listening to her steady breathing.

“Five minutes”, she yawned, placing an arm over his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

 

***

 

A warm hand sneaked under his shirt and he could feel a soft weight on his left side, a wet tongue sliding over his neck and he sighed in his sleep.

That was better than dreaming every night how she was shot, watching her fall in slow motion and he couldn’t do anything.

His large hand roamed over her back and she stopped.

“You awake?”

No… he was sleeping… why should a dream ask him if he was awake?

Her hand started again to stroke through the soft hair on his chest, gently grazing over his nipples before it wandered over his pecs down to his abdomen, where they found the hem of his shirt and shoved it up.

Warm, soft lips kissed down the path her fingers had taken on his naked skin, fast fingers opening his belt made him shiver.

It felt almost real, but he had taken her to the hospital, she was at PPTH, sleeping there, attached to medical surveillance…

Her hand slid into his jeans, into his boxers, curling her fingers around him and he moaned when she sucked at his right nipple at the same time, grazing her teeth over it lightly.

“Lift your hips”, she whispered against his chest and he did what she said. His jeans and boxers where shoved down to his knees and he felt her warm skin brush against his thigh when she scurried up again to lick tiny circles around his navel. And he let out a surprised hiss when her hand touched his erect penis, gently stroking the tip and sliding her hand down the shaft to caress his balls, too, causing him to moan again.

“Ooohh… that’s good…”

Her lips curled into a smile on his stomach, her fingers repeating the movement.

“Like that?” she whispered and he could only groan in response when she started to kiss her way down on that thin line of hair.

When she kissed the tip of his penis softly before sliding her tongue down the length of it his eyes flew open. Auburn hair was spread out on his stomach, her black eyes focusing on his sleepy, lust blurred gaze.

She averted her eyes when her lips closed around him, his head falling back into his pillow.

This really was a good one…

He could hear himself begging her not to stop, to suck him harder as he could feel the orgasm build inside him.

Suddenly she stopped pleasuring him with her mouth and he felt her straddling him, his tip nuzzling her moist entrance, letting out a long throaty groan when he felt himself entering her and grabbed her hips to push into her even deeper.

She started moving in that lazy rhythm he knew so well by now, bending slightly towards him, granting him access to stroke her back, her ass, her breasts…

She let out an aroused groan when he pinched her nipples and he furrowed his forehead for a second.

Wow… he really had a good imagination…

Their rhythm started to become unsteady and he reached down to her waist, letting out a surprised gasp when his fingers touched something rough at the right side.

She bent down further, her hips now grinding and he knew she was just as close as he was.

“You’re real!” he managed to get out between gritted teeth fighting hard to keep as much control as possible. Opening his eyes he could see her in the light of his bedroom, just as she placed her hands on his chest, moving her hips faster against him.

“Han…”

Her hands slid from his chest around his neck, pressing her upper body firmly against him.

She kissed him when her hips started to tremble, her inner muscles gripping and releasing him and he couldn’t hold back any longer. Coming in pulsating spurts that caused him to groan loudly with each one he hugged her even harder holding her as her strength left her and she collapsed on top of him.

“I can’t believe I slept for 10 days voluntarily and missed this…” he heard her whisper and shook his head amused.

“I can’t believe you can do something like that after 10 days of coma…”

Sliding to his side she rested her head on his shoulder again, entwining one of his legs with her long ones. He could still feel the wetness between them, and ran his hand somewhat proudly over her back.

Tomorrow he would take her under his shower (Well, he would bring her there to shower and then stuff her into a car to transport her back to the hospital…), washing away the mixture of their juices…

“Oh… shit.”

She murmured a sleepy “What?” as response, barely able to lift her head from his shoulder and he kissed her forehead softly.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow. Now sleep, you nymphomaniac little witch.”

She giggled at that, cuddling even nearer and he closed his arms around her.

His blue gaze wandered to his nightstand next to the bed.

Well, maybe now he could ship them off to Africa without even thinking twice.

But before that he somehow had to get out of his trousers hanging at his knees without waking the woman next to him…

Willing his mind to shut up for once he managed to kick off his shoes, vowing to himself to never again fall asleep next to a woman who for since he knew her didn’t really think of sleeping when one of them mentioned a bed.

And he definitely needed to think a little more when he was around her.


	23. Would it be that bad...?

He nudged her gently on the shoulder when his corvette stopped in front of PPTH.

“Hannah… wake up.”

She groggily opened only one eye to look at him.

“Already there?”

“Yeah, I know… these fast cars today…”

She opened her second eye just to be able to roll them both on him.

“Very funny.”

He just grinned as response and climbed out of the car, limping around it to her side to open the door.

“One should think you’d be not really tired after having slept 10 days”, Hannah growled when she got out and started walking next to him into the hospital.

“Well, consider yourself lucky that I can park right in front of the building. Else you would have to walk two miles.”

 

Cuddy ran into them when they just had passed the reception.

“Dr. McLachlan!”

“Dr. Cuddy. Good Morning.“

The dean nodded at both doctors, watching them expectantly.

Finally Hannah sighed silently.

“I’m sorry for having caused that much trouble yesterday… I really was confused, and then I freaked and just wanted out of here.”

Cuddy looked at her neutrally.

“Well, I heard House was in the room when you woke up.” She would also freak at that.

The head of genetics looked at her confused.

“Yes, he tried to calm me down.”

“With very little success”, House added, seeing Cuddy frown.

“That’s why I came to apologize to you yesterday…”, the neurologist started, biting her tongue then, afraid that she had revealed too much.

“She came to you yesterday? Why didn’t you bring her back to the hospital?” Cuddy started to get louder and let out an annoyed sigh when House didn’t react.

Hannah had put her hand protectively over the band aid he had put over the wound and all he could think right now was that maybe his baby was already swimming in there… okay, he knew that right now it would be a ball of cells on its way from her ovary to her womb. Still he was surprised that these thoughts didn’t really scare him.

“House!” Cuddy screeched, shocking him out of his thoughts.

“Huh?”

“I asked you why you didn’t bring her to the hospital yesterday when you zoned out.”

“Because she fell asleep and I thought it would be better to let her sleep.”

Glancing at her he saw his stranger nodding.

She still looked exhausted and now had a firm grip on his left arm.

“I think I need to sit down…”

Cuddy produced a chair while he did his best to support her, groaning silently when he sat her down.

She was pale, her eyes unfocused, her breathing had accelerated.

“Dr. McLachlan? Are you in pain?” Cuddy wanted to know and the neurologist shook her head.

“I… haven’t eaten since…”

Cuddy threw him an angry glance and was surprised to see him truly worried.

“You didn’t even feed her?”

“She didn’t want anything yesterday. And this morning I just didn’t think of that…”

Cuddy just patted his arm, turning back to the neurologist who had closed her eyes concentrating on her breathing.

“Okay… I’ll bring you back to your room, hook you on a banana-bag and then you’ll get something to eat”, the dean said, looking at House again before he could say something.

“You have a patient waiting in the clinic.”

His blue gaze wandered to his stranger who had calmed down a bit, silently nodding to himself.

“I’ll come by later.”

“Okay.”

 

***

 

People were stupid.

If he hadn’t been convinced of that before he would have been now.

Yet there was this forty something guy in front of him, his intimidated daughter next to him, yelling at him because he prescribed his little, sexually inactive princess the pill.

He let him yell, finding it somewhat amusing to watch his face getting redder and redder. When the girl started to sob he interrupted the guy.

“In which century are you living?”

“What?!”

“I asked in which century you are living. You know, till 1600 something you’d already be grandfather of at least two children assuming your daughter had her first period with 12. Until the fifties of the last century she either would have been sent to an aunt on the country or closed into her room, maybe even pressured to an abortion. Thank God we live in times where a woman can decide if she wants to have children or not. You should be proud that she’s smart enough to protect herself.”

The father stared at him openmouthed.

“You tell me I should be glad she’s having sex?!”

House sighed.

“I said you should be glad that she’s protecting herself.”

“She’s 15 for heaven’s sake!”

“Yeah, I know. I was 17 when I played ‘Hide the snake’ for the first time. According to statistics I would be a late bloomer nowadays”, House replied dryly, watching the girl out of the corner of his eye. She tried to hide a giggle while her father frowned racking his brain when his first time had been.

The guy suddenly shook his head.

“I vowed to myself never to be that kind of father…”

“Oh, it’s only natural if you want to kill the guy who’s doing her.”

The girl blushed at that whereas the father looked at him suspiciously.

“Speaking out of experience?”

“Nah, not yet…”

 

***

 

People were not only stupid, most of them just were bloody idiots.

And blind, deaf, braindead… he ran out of adjectives when looking at the bald, chubby guy in front of him, his daughter in a firm grip.

He recognized the girl as being the one he treated before his pill-princess.

And he wondered why she was here, asking for him.

He thought he had referred her to a gynecologist…

“Ehm… What can I do for you?”

“I want you to look at my daughter!”

“I referred her…”

“She doesn’t need a gynecologist, she needs some anti fat pills, or sports. Tell her to move her fat ass!”

The girl looked at her hands that were securely folded over her wide sweater, looking up at the diagnostician pleadingly.

“I wouldn’t recommend sports right now.”

“She’s getting fatter every day!”

House looked at him letting him know only with his icy stare that these words also described him.

“Oh, that will be over in a little more than two months, if I did the maths right…”

The girl smiled at that, softly stroking over her belly.

“What the hell does that mean?” her father bellowed and House started to think if his ‘In what century do you live?’ speech would help here. He looked at the girl who still looked nervous but somehow also stronger than a minute before.

“Dad”, she spoke up but he only waved her off.

“You goddamn doctors just like to speak in miracles, don’t you?”

“Well… okay, sometimes yes, we do. But that is something your daughter should tell you”, House replied watching his round form turn around to the girl.

“Daddy…” She took a breath, looking once again at the tall doctor.

“Stop Daddy-ing me, start talking!”

“I…” She closed her eyes briefly.

Opening them she decided to do it quick.

“I’m pregnant.”

House watched her father. His face was unreadable, his eyes frozen.

When his hand connected with her cheek sending her to the floor it was the diagnostician who was frozen for some seconds.

“You useless, little bitch! I knew you were stupid, but for spreading your legs you obviously don’t need a brain!”

The girl scurried against the wall, huddling into a corner when her father made a step towards her, lifting his hand again.

This time he was stopped by connecting rather painfully with the hard wood of a cane. He shoved it out of the way, only to have it back in his way, blocking him effectively from hurting his daughter again.

“Let go off me! That’s not your business!” the man screamed, again shoving the cane away.

House moved himself between father and daughter, pressing the rubber foot of his cane against the chest of the other man.

“It is when you are trying to hurt my patient. Security!”

“I just should run you over, you damn cripple!” the man exhaled breathlessly.

“I think the cripple has a little say in that too.”

He had not played lacrosse for nothing. He knew how to use a stick.

This time security came in time, looking surprised at the slightly disabled doctor who was defending his still shocked patient.

Her father was still screaming when they took him with them, House not caring anymore about him but turning to the girl who still sat on the floor.

“I knew he would react like this”, she whispered.

Then she fainted.

 

He was looking at the girl in her hospital bed. An angry red mark had spread on her cheek, her pale blue eyes were looking at him thankfully when he sat down next to her bed, his hands resting on his cane. Her father really must have been blind. She didn’t show any signs of obesity like her father did, in the hospital gown she just showed a perfect seven months pregnant belly.

“I think he didn’t want to see it”, she said silently.

“Maybe you should be glad he brought you here to find out. I don’t even want to imagine what he could have done to you…”

Okay, somehow he was turning into a softie with the knowledge that he could be a father real soon, too…

“Thank you for saving me. Maybe it would have been better if you hadn’t stopped him, though.”

“Stop thinking that.”

“I have nowhere to go. I just turned 16! And I’m really not that smart. Else I would have known I was pregnant without you telling me…”

“You still could think about adoption. That’s better than murder, you know?”

Yep, definitely softie.

“But… that’s my baby!” she exclaimed.

“Then you have to find another solution. There are possibilities, you know. Keeping it is only the first decision”, House said, smiling at her.

“I’m glad you’re my doctor…”

“Oh, you just came on a good day. Normally I’m the guy tormenting patients and other doctors”, he replied, this time grinning.

She smiled back, then her mouth formed an O.

“Oh…”

House frowned at her.

“Are you okay?”

She made another “Oh!”, this time grabbing his hand, placing it on her belly.

For some seconds he was too taken aback to react.

Then he was too surprised when the skin of her stomach dented into his palm, the child kicking forcefully.

“It’s always been holding still in there… as if not to alert Daddy by surprising me with a kick.”

The baby kicked two more times into his hand before he pulled it back, lifting himself from the chair.

“You’ll stay here for some days. I think there are social workers in the house that can help you”, he said turning around and she made a disappointed face.

“Can’t you stay a little?”

“I have also other patients…”

Actually he really needed to talk to a very special patient right now.

 

***

 

He expected her to sleep.

She was sitting in the bed, eating instead.

“I’ll never again forget to feed you, I promise!” he mocked into the room when he closed the door behind him.

“How many turtles can you name to prove yourself wrong?” she shot back immediately, shoving another spoonful of green jell-O into her mouth.

“Nah hu, Daddy House never allowed me a pet. I think that’s why I have Steve.”

“My father always keeps complaining about the dogs my mother has. They love him nevertheless. It’s driving him crazy”, she giggled. House said nothing but watched her practically licking out the bowl.

“Do you think I can get another one? It’s far from being nutriciant, but it tastes so good…”

House shook his head amused, hearing himself say “You know, it’s way too early for food cravings.”

She frowned at him while he hooked his cane on a chair and pulled it to the bed so he could sit down next to her.

“I heard you were the knight in shining armor down in the clinic”, she then said, deciding not to ask what he meant before. He looked at her surprised.

“How…?”

“The nurses are talking about nothing else. Defending a pregnant girl from her abusive father. I’m impressed, Dr. House”, the neurologist grinned, shifting in the bed.

Once again she put her hand on the place where the bandages were and his mind went to a place where a little girl with her auburn hair and his blue eyes was sitting on a swing…

A hand waving in front of his eyes brought him back to reality.

“You okay? That scumbag didn’t hurt you, did he?” she asked with a worried expression on her face.

“Nah.”

“Okay, and now I want the truth.”

“I was a good boy and swallowed my pills afterwards.”

She furrowed her forehead at that, the steep, angry furrow between her eyebrows reappearing.

“World’s full of idiots”, he said before she could start ranting.

“Well, I still want to kill the guy. His daughter may have made a mistake, but who is he to punish her for that? And I think I’m allowed to get angry when somebody hurts you.”

“He didn’t hurt me. It’s just that goddamn leg.”

She looked at him for a while.

“I like that leg”, she said finally.

“Well, I like your legs too”, he grinned, then turning earnest again.

“I was another man before that happened. I was active, almost always on my feet. I loved lacrosse, soccer… Jeez, I even played golf because it was running around in the nature, but only a bit slower…”

“I bet, you weren’t exactly Mr. Sunshine even before the incident.”

“Ah… yes.” But he’d had Stacy back then. His life hadn’t been controlled by pain and the next best way to get rid of it.

“It’s not your leg I fell in love with.”

She looked at him with her black eyes suddenly growing wide, taking a sharp breath when she realized what she just had said. He stared at her wide eyed and shifted uncomfortably in his chair when she said nothing.

Suddenly she straightened her back as good as possible in the hospital bed.

“It’s not your leg I’m in love with. And you don’t have to say anything. It’s okay!”

He looked at his feet, thumping his cane to the floor in tiny movements.

“No, that is not okay. I should be able to say it, too. I want to! Especially now. Why do I have to be so screwed up?”

He looked up at her, focusing her with his blue gaze and could see that she really was confused.

“What do you mean with especially now?”

House took a deep breath.

“We forgot something yesterday.”

“Forgot?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Ah… condom?” Okay, even as a doctor you felt stupid admitting something like that.

She only made a silent, surprised “Oh.”

Then a louder “Oh!” came, followed by a nervous laughter, when she put her head in her hands.

“Uh… Hannah?” Could she please say something?

“I just saw a little girl with my hair and your eyes…”

He was somewhat relieved when he heard that.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

She returned to looking at him.

“Sooo… I could be pregnant.”

“Well, that usually happens when a man and a woman really, really like each other… or are really, really drunk.”

“God, I hope our children don’t get your sense of humor. They’ll be mocking me all the time instead of doing what I say… Oh my God!”

Okay… now it was time for the delayed freakout.

“Hannah…”

She didn’t listen to him but really started to panic, even though it was not in the way he had expected.

“I just said children! Oh please, tell me twins don’t run in your family! My mother had morelings four times! And my sisters…”

“We don’t even know yet if you’re pregnant. And what would be so bad about two? Could play together and we don’t always have to entertain them”, he heard himself say softly.

She just stared at him.

“She had fourlings two times! I’m a triplet! Oh my God, I’m going to be so fat…”

At that he laughed surprised, with her glaring at him.

He had to laugh even harder, and soon she joined him.

“Okay, freakout’s over. And I just now understood what you meant with this food cravings joke.”

“So, can we find out first if you are pregnant before freaking the next time? And by the way, I will tell Cuddy!”

 

“You will be telling me what?” they both could hear from the door, where the dean of PPTH stood in her white coat.

“How impolite. You’re disturbing our family planning.”

Cuddy just looked at him really confused.

“Family planning?”

“Yeah, little Dr. McLachlan got a little carried away while abusing me yesterday. By the way, since morelings run in your family: What do you think about Eric, Robert and Allison?”

“We will not name our hypothetical children after your assistants, Dr. House!”

Cuddy just shook her head.

“Will you please stop encouraging him, Dr. McLachlan. And House, why is with you everything about sex? Now, stop molesting my patient and get out, I need to take a look at the wound.”

“I’m not molesting her.”

“Yeah, I know, for you that is normal. Now get out.”

This time he did what she said, looking somewhat preoccupied.


	24. You could be happy

“What would you think of a woman like her dating a guy like me?” he asked when marching into the office of Wilson, staring at the oncologist but ignoring the patient who was sitting in the ‘Bad news’ chair.

“I have a patient right now, House.”

“I see. Could you leave? I have to talk to him”, he asked the woman who was looking really confused.

“You can’t just throw me out…”

“Uh, all of us have problems. Now it’s my turn to talk to Jimmy.”

Wilson sighed while the woman narrowed her eyes on his friend.

“We’re finished, Mrs. Smith.”

After he had said goodbye to the woman he turned around to look at House again, who now was sitting in the bad news chair.

“You have to stop that. She’s my patient, you know!”

“I’m your friend. I’m more important. And I really could need your help right now.”

Wilson sighed again and took the seat opposite of House.

“What would you think of a woman like her dating a guy like me?” the diagnostician repeated his question.

“My patient?”

House looked at his friend as if he had lost his mind.

“No. Hannah.”

“She’s a complete nutcase.”

He was surprised by the hurt look in House’s eyes.

“Honestly, I think… you got another chance.”

“Another chance?”

“You could be happy with her, you know? I think, she likes you despite your behavior.”

“She said she loved me.”

At that the oncologist’s mouth stood open for some seconds.

“I return to my nutcase-theory then”, he joked.

House’s expression didn’t change.

“What did you say?” the other doctor sighed, putting on an earnest face again.

“I wanted to say I loved her, too… the words just wouldn’t come out.”

“Typical House, then”, Wilson diagnosed with House making a face at him.

“What did she say then?”

“She said it was okay before I could even start to stammer something inappropriate.”

“And then?”

“Then Cuddy came in, interrupting our conversation about the baby and implying that I was just molesting her like every other good looking woman with half a brain.”

Now Wilson looked confused.

“Okay, you’ve lost me now.”

“Uh, I forgot to mention that Hannah could be pregnant, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did. The baby survived the surgery?”

“Nah, newly made yesterday, when she came by after she ran out of the hospital.”

At that Wilson couldn’t help but laugh.

“You two don’t waste time with anything.”

House grinned at that, too.

That they really didn’t do.

“So… what should I do now?” the diagnostician asked, looking at his friend expectantly.

“Tell her, you love her. Find out if she’s really pregnant. Pray that the baby inherits her manners.”

“Nah, I’d rather pray for her features. Her looks, my brains, what do you say?”

Wilson didn’t even blink.

“God help us all!”

 

***

 

His ducklings watched him walking up and down in his office now for over half an hour. Sometimes he would stop, looking out of his window with a blank expression. Then he started pacing again.

“Do you think it’s his leg again?” Foreman asked, looking at his two colleagues.

“Maybe he hurt himself this morning…”, Cameron spoke up, her eyes never leaving her boss.

“He said he was okay”, Chase mentioned, being the only one who didn’t sit there like in a tennis match but rather concentrated on his newest crossword.

“Hall for planes? 6 letters…”

“Hangar. Do you think he’s off his Vicodin again?” Foreman said folding his arms.

“He doesn’t look sick.”

“He didn’t for the first three days the last time. Then he broke his own hand.”

“To distract himself from the pain in his leg. You don’t know how much his leg must hurt. Get yourself sawed half of the muscle out, then you can talk about pain again”, Cameron snapped defending House.

“Man, you still have it bad for him.” Foreman stated watching House stop at a wall, leaning his head against it. He already started to march towards the office when the diagnostician suddenly lifted his head again and spun around, leaving the office.

 

He didn’t knock on her door.

She didn’t look surprised just as always.

“Missed me already?” she smiled but then made an earnest face when she saw his expression.

“Are you okay, Greg?”

He closed the door behind him and started pacing again.

“I can’t stop thinking!”

The neurologist looked at him confused but couldn’t say anything as he continued to pace and have his freakout of the day.

“I know we don’t know if there’s a baby… and then I think about my father and how we can’t be in a room together with me feeling so inferior, I practically shrink when he’s there, and then there’s always an argument because I hate feeling inferior. I can’t stop thinking that I of all people really shouldn’t have children while at the same time I think about Cuddy’s face when I tell her… and then I realized that I just assumed over your head that you want it… I… I…”

“Why shouldn’t I want it?” she frowned at him.

“Because you have a career here… Because I…”

“Because you are the father?! I do believe that is a very good cause to keep this child! That wasn’t a joke before when I said I love you. I wouldn’t kill the child of the man I love!” she exclaimed.

Then suddenly she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Or don’t you want it?”

He stopped pacing and looked at her. She hadn’t started to cry like he would every other woman have expected to. Instead he felt like crying right now.

When he didn’t say anything for quite a while she became impatient.

“Tell me!” she demanded.

“Of course I want it”, he heard himself whisper, limping the few steps to her side.

“Then where’s the problem?” she asked as quietly taking his free hand into hers, leaning her forehead against his.

She was good at switching his hyperactive brain off.

“You think I’d be a good Dad?”

“You think I’d be a good Mom?” she asked back and only now he realized that she must be just as confused as he was about this whole topic.

“I’m sorry for being such a pain in the ass… for not being able to say that I love you too… I do, you know! And for still being convinced that somehow I will screw up…”

“Won’t let you”, she whispered, caressing his left cheek softly before tenderly kissing him on his lips. He pulled away.

“Hannah…”

“No. I won’t let you. Live with that. You will be happy with me, maybe us, period.”

This time he leaned in to kiss her.

Somehow it was really easy to believe her.

 

***

 

Cameron watched him when he went into his office again, sitting down in his chair. He stretched his leg out, searching for something in his pockets, growling silently when he found nothing. Massaging his leg he leaned his head against the back of his chair, wincing.

“You’re doing this to yourself again?” his female duckling asked from the entrance to his office and he opened his eyes again to see her standing there with crossed arms.

“Doing what to me again?”

“Not taking your pills. Have you forgotten how it was the last time? You broke your own hand! You seemed happy that the father of our patient punched you just because it distracted you from the pain in your leg!”

He said nothing, just looked at her confused.

“Is that another bet? How many weeks did Cuddy promise you this time? Is not having to work really worth the withdrawal and detox?”

“I think you’ve lost me now”, he stated, now really confused. He just had forgotten his pills down in the clinic and was massaging his thigh to be able to walk to the elevator.

“Why aren’t you taking your Vicodin?”

“Why are you so obsessed with my pain?” he asked back.

“House!”

“Cameron.”

Suddenly she took a sharp breath.

“You’re not doing that for her, are you?”

“Now you’ve completely lost me.”

“You are!”

“Jesus, Cameron, start to talk in sentences I understand, will you!” he exclaimed.

“You’re not taking the painkillers anymore because Hannah wants you to.”

He just frowned at her when she turned around abruptly, whispering “I wouldn’t ask you to do something like that.”

“God, Cameron, don’t tell me you still have it that bad for me.”

She turned around, locking her eyes with his blue gaze.

“I wouldn’t try to change you… You could be happy with me.”

He looked at her for a while.

“Both of us wouldn’t be happy. Someday I really would piss you off, and you wouldn’t come back.”

“That could also happen with her.”

He shook his head.

“She won’t let me. And I won’t let her.”

Cameron looked at him for some more seconds.

“By the way: My pills are down in the clinic, exam room 2. I forgot them there after playing knight in shining armor with cane. Will you hopp down and fetch them for me? My bad leg’s killing me right now”, he said and waited for her to roll her eyes at him. She did that before turning around, heading to the elevator.

She was so easy to manipulate, he just had to pull out the bad leg card.

She wouldn’t try to change him? He wouldn’t want to change for her.

For Hannah on the other hand…


	25. Make this go on forever

“Agatha.”

“No.”

“Agnes.”

“No.”

“Aileen, Anthea, Audrey?”

“No, no, and no.”

“Barbara.”

“You are doing this alphabetically?”

“Yep. Barbara?”

“No.”

“Beatrice, Belinda, Bernadette?”

“No, no, and only over my dead body”, Hannah replied, coming out of his kitchen with a hot-water bottle in one hand, two beer in the other. House took another paper from under his coffee table.

“Uh… Carla, Cecilia, Chloe…”

“What is this? The one hundred ugliest female baby names?” She put the bottles down on the coffee table and snatched the paper out of his hand.

“That is a paper about cystic fibrosis… oh my God, one of these poor authors is really named Ethel!”

“Hey, I’m at C, not at E!”

“I do believe I told you 20 minutes ago that I’m not pregnant. I took the test this morning.”

“Result could be wrong.” He grabbed the paper back.

“Hmmm… Daisy?”

“I’d rather call it Bernadette then. The result’s not wrong.” Shaking her head she took the paper from him and handed him a bottle of beer.

“I took the test, I’ve seen my gynecologist. I’m sorry, but baby House has to wait at least until my probation’s over.”

He leaned back on his couch, watching her put the warm flask on her stomach.

“You got a stomach ache?”

“Nah, just the proof that God has to be a man.” She slid to his side, leaning her head on his shoulder, arms locked around his waist.

“Meaning please!” he frowned as she also snatched the remote out of his hands and switched from the news to a cartoon.

“A woman definitely wouldn’t have invented something like the period…”

“So there’s definitely no Daphne, Deirdre or Dolly?”

“At the moment, no. And when we are having a child I will do the naming!”

“You back on the pill?”

She nodded, scooting down on the couch with him, coming to rest in a laying position.

“Good. I hate condoms.”

“So that’s why you are collecting them in your nightstand…”

He didn’t say anything to that, just continued watching Spongebob drive Squidward crazy.

“What are you thinking?” she heard him say silently some minutes later.

“That the squid should blow the pineapple into pieces.”

“Hannah…”

“Sophie would have been a beautiful name”, she whispered, sliding her hand under his shirt to warm it up. He kissed the top of her head.

A knock on the door let him look up.

“You ordered food?”

“Yes, but it’s way to early…”

“Maybe they really, really want to see you naked…”

She giggled at that, but didn’t move.

It knocked for a second time, then the door was opened.

“House? You home?”

“Wilson, you’re disturbing a party here!” House hollered from the couch and got himself a swat on the arm.

Wilson walked into the living room with a surprised expression on his face when he found his friend cuddling with the head of genetics.

“Sorry, I didn’t’ know you were here, too.”

The two doctors sat up, greeting the oncologist.

“I’m practically living here since… uh…”

“The second week we knew each other. No sense in you driving back to the hotel all the time”, House finished her sentence.

“You really don’t waste time…” Still Wilson knew that Stacy also had moved in with House one week after their first, disastrous date. Maybe that just was his modus operandi.

“Nah, we don’t. What can I do for you, Jimmy?”

The  oncologist looked down on his feet.

“I got divorced today…”

“Oh… I forgot…” House carefully watched the face of his friend.

“Didn’t think it would get to me that much…”

House said nothing. He had seen him the last two times.

Hannah on the other hand got up from the couch and he caught her hand.

“Where’re you going?”

“You should spend some time with Dr. Wilson. I’m still a bit groggy, I’ll go to bed.”

“I didn’t want to disturb you”, Wilson spoke up, this time it being him who was caught in her black gaze.

“You don’t disturb. You’re Greg’s best friend, and I’d love to get to know you better, too, but right know I could fall asleep on my feet right here.”

Turning back to House she pecked him on his lips.

“Put the chicken curry in the fridge for me, okay?”

 

Wilson watched her disappear into the bedroom with a light frown.

“What have you two been doing here before?”

“We talked about baby names.” House handed Wilson one of the beer bottles and opened his one while the oncologist sat down in a chair.

“So she’s pregnant?” Wilson opened his, too and took a sip.

“Nope. But I liked the thought…”

“You could try again… if you really want to…”

“You know what is funny? I didn’t really believe she was, since her body was going through that much stress. Still I’m a bit disappointed.” House leaned back on the couch, tapping his fingers to the glass of the bottle.

“You really wanted a kid?”

“Nah, I thought my sperm would be stronger and more stubborn than any stress level…”

“Uhm… I’d rather not talk about your little swimmers…”

House and Wilson laughed at that.

“So… wanna watch a movie then?” the diagnostician asked and the oncologist nodded.

“Preferably something without married or divorced people…”

“Damn, and I wanted to suggest the Simpsons Porn…”

Wilson looked at him confused.

“Aren’t the Simpsons a cartoon?”

“Yep… that was a night when Hannah dragged that one along…” His expression was dreamy now.

“House, I’m a divorced man. When you’re showing me porn you better add a hooker!”

Wilson emptied his beer and got up from the chair, looking at House’s DVD collection.

“Fight Club?”

“There’s also sex in there.”

“Equilibrium?”

“Nah huh, sad, strange lovestory. Real good action though.”

“Jeez, Greg, what do you want to watch then?”

“The Simpsons Porn.”

Wilson shook his head, turning back to the collection when it knocked on the door and House got up.

The delivery guy was glancing into his home very curiously, almost forgetting to deliver the food.

“What about The Transporter?” Wilson asked from the living room and an evil grin appeared on House’s face.

“What about The Simpsons Porn?” he hollered back.

“I already told you I’m not in the mood today.”

House sighed theatrically turning back to the delivery guy.

“He can be difficult sometimes, but I nevertheless love him.”

The guy looked at him confused.

“Weren’t you the one…?”

“Yep… you know, we’re nudists here, the woman your colleague saw just needed to borrow a shirt. I think it was a Tuesday, wasn’t it? That’s my straigh day. Rest of the week I love men. How much do you get?”

When he had paid him the delivery guy almost fled on his scooter, leaving a grinning House at the entrance to his home.

So much for making googly eyes at his woman.

“You decided already?” he asked into his living room while heading towards to kitchen to put the chicken curry into the fridge and grab another beer and then decided to bring the whole sixpack.

Wilson was already seated on the couch with the remote in his hands.

“Chronicals of Riddick. And I don’t care if there’s a sad lovestory or if they’re on it like the rabbits. I’ve wanted to see that for quite a while now.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining, you’ll just have me wondering the whole time where Vin Diesel got his name from…” the diagnostician replied, handing the delivery to Wilson.

They were already 20 minutes into the film, halfway through their food and another bottle of beer when Wilson silently said: “Thank you.”

“De nada… You’re buying me lunch for how long now?

“For not leaving me alone this evening.”

House didn’t look at the oncologist.

“That’s what friends are for.”

 

 ***

 

She woke from the shifting of the mattress under his weight and lifted her head out of the pillow.

“What time is it?” she asked sleepily.

“Shhsh… too early. Go back to sleep…” His voice sounded slow and husky.

“How is Wilson?” she wanted to know, turning around to him and scurrying into his embrace.

“Tipsy… we emptied two sixpacks… He’s sleeping on the couch.”

“Will he be okay?”

House lazily kissed her lips.

“Well, it’s not the first time we live through a divorce together… my beer consumption will increase slightly for the next few days.”

She rested her forehead against his chest.

“You’re a good friend”, she murmured half asleep again.

“I told the delivery guy I was gay so they will stop stalking you.”

He could feel her shake in his arms as she laughed silently.

She murmured a “Definitely not dull” into his shirt before falling asleep again.

 

***

 

His bed was empty.

He couldn’t sleep when it was empty.

Since she was out of the hospital they hadn’t been a night apart, his arms securely folded around her.

Now the sun was shining into his bedroom and the alarm clock said something about 7:05 a.m.

WAY too early.

Still he couldn’t fall asleep anymore.

His hand automatically wandered to his nightstand, grabbing the Vicodin-tube and he swallowed one of the painkillers before even trying to get up.

 

She was sitting on the table in his kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hand.

Sipping on it with half closed eyes she turned her head towards him.

“I didn’t wake you, did I?”

House sat down heavily on one chair. He’d never been a morning person, but ever since… Well, he also never would be one.

“Nah. Can’t sleep when you’re not there.”

“I’ve only been gone for five minutes”, she said silently and watched him snatching the coffee cup out of her hand, taking a sip.

“Yep. Lost my teddybear. Why do I have coffee?”

“Because I was making breakfast”, a male voice behind him announced, revealing Wilson standing in the doorway with a package in his hand.

“One should assume that with a woman in the house the fridge would be stocked. I could barely stop her from eating the cold chicken curry for breakfast”, the oncologist smiled with a sideglance towards the female neurologist.

None of them said something, Hannah just took her coffee back.

“Please tell me you’re not only living of deliveries.”

They looked at Wilson with equally narrowed eyes.

“Why not? Does it matter if they cook or I do?” House asked, turning his head to his stranger before she could say anything.

“Does he have to know that you burn even water?”

“You CAN actually cook?” she asked back.

“Yes, I can shove a frozen pizza into the oven without turning it into coal.”

“That I will be hearing for the rest of my life, won’t I? And by the way, it was a certain diagnostician that made me forget about the time.”

Wilson behind them just shook his head.

“You’re sounding like an old married couple.”

Both doctors throwing a “Hey!” at him made him laugh again.

 

***

 

“She’s great.” Wilson said two days later.

“Nah, she must be a nutcase.”

Wilson threw his friend a confused look while he was eating his sandwich.

“I think we had this conversation that she’s not.”

“She thinks we can be happy. Won’t listen to me when I say I will screw up.”

“Well… maybe you won’t?”

“Please. I even managed to do it with Stacy.”

“She also managed to do that with you. Maybe, if she didn’t let them cut the muscle out…”

“It’s not about that damn leg right now”, House growled,  taking the top of his sandwich off disgusted.

“Man, why do they have to put pickles in there?”

“Because it is a sandwich and there are people who like pickles. You must know that she is not Stacy”, Wilson stated softly while watching him take the pickles out and throw them on his tablet.

“Uh, thank you that you mention it. Wouldn’t have noticed that”, House snapped.

“I just mean that she’s another person. I’ve seen her with you. She doesn’t even attempt to order you around or tell you what to do.”

“Well yeah, in private she doesn’t. You haven’t seen her in a differential diagnosis.”

“That is her job, and you know how you can be.”

The diagnostician stared off into nothing for a while.

“I just don’t want it to stop. I want to trust her…”

“Only because Stacy betrayed your trust doesn’t mean she will. Just try not to screw up.”

House nodded at that silently, taking a bite of his sandwich.

“Easier said than done. Maybe the baby would have been good.”

Wilson was staring at his friend wordlessly and just opened his mouth when Dr. Cuddy stopped at their table.

“Did you actually tell a mother that it is her choice if her child lives or dies?!”

House looked thoughtfully at his boss.

“I do believe I told her that if she continued smokin’ like a broken oven, swallowing every glass with some promills in it because she wants to be a partygirl instead of an expecting mother…”

“Stop it, I know what you said to her!”

“Then why are we here?”

“You could have been nicer!”

“She could have had an abortion when there was still time instead of pretending not to be pregnant. It’s her behavior that’s hurting the baby, not mine!” he exclaimed rather loudly making the other people in the cafeteria look at them.

Cuddy stared at him openmouthed while he got up from his chair, throwing his half eaten sandwich on the table.

“I’m not hungry anymore.”

She watched him leave the table, then turned to Wilson.

“What was that?”

“I think he’s had to deal with too many pregnacies lately. That girl he defended got to him. Excuse me”, the oncologist answered before standig up and hurrying towards the elevator.

 

“Don’t say anything. I don’t know why I just freaked”, House said when the doors had closed in front of them.

“I think I do.”

“Oh, you know better what’s going on in my head than me? Please, fill me in.”

Wilson looked at him sincerely.

“I think your biological clock is ticking.”

“My what is doing what?!”

“Now comes the part where I say directly that you wanted that baby. You, my friend, are ticking.”

House stayed silent for some seconds.

“I think I did”, he said silently before turning towards his friend.

“But it’s too comlicated right now. Hannah’s still on probation… and I feel really funny about all that. I’ve never been ticking before in that kind of way.”

His friend shook his head at that amused getting the ticking of a bomb – joke.

“What does Hannah say?”

“Baby House has to wait until her probation’s over. She…”

His eyes suddenly widened.

“She never said she didn’t want it.”

The diagnostician smiled at himself.

“You know you’ll be uncle Jimmy then…”

 

***

 

“I am ticking”, he said with a dramatical pause after the I.

_“You are what?”_ Her voice sounded amused in his cell phone when she made the same pause after the you and he leaned back in the soft beige chair next to the entrance to his office.

“Wilson says my biological clock is ticking, because I snapped at Cuddy because of a pregnant patient of mine…”

_“Jeez, how many pregnant patients do you have right now?”_

“Three. Even if the one today only marched in because she has to throw up when she drinks alcohol.”

_“Some people shouldn’t have children. What are you doing this afternoon? I’m really bored.”_

“You shouldn’t be bored, you should be resting. You know, coma, shooting?” he smiled into the small phone, popping his bad leg up.

_“Resting is boring.”_

“Watch TV.”

“There’s only crap on. If I have to watch one of these blonde haired bimbos one more time complaining that one tictac made them fat I’ll blow up a production company. Preferably with many blonde bimbos inside.”

“I didn’t say ‘watch America’s next topmodel’.”

“I also don’t want to watch one of these idiots try to sing… or dance… or act like a normal human being.”

He laughed into his cellphone.

“Then don’t watch TV. You could read a book.”

“I’m not in the mood for reading. I even tortured your piano for half an hour already. I’m really desperate.”

“You play?”

“My mother forced all of us to learn an instrument. My sister Cara went through three violins and two guitars before Mom gave up. I didn’t have that much luck. You can’t throw a piano out of the window that easily.”

“Poor thing… you hated it?”

“No. I like the piano. I just never ever was good. Got impatient too easy. And she wouldn’t allow me drums.”

“Well, if she did you’d be on tour with Metallica instead of laying on my couch…” A movement behind him let him turn his eyes towards his entrance seeing Foremand walk by.

“What are you wearing right now?” he asked, seeing the white coat of his neurologist stop.

“Ah… what kind of topic change is that now?”

“Hey, you said you were bored, and since I have to sit here in my office…”

“One of your kiddies is standing behind you, am I right?” she asked amused and he laughed loudly into the receiver.

“Oh yes… so, what are you wearing? One of my shirts?” Out of the corner of his eye House could see Foreman scoot nearer to the entrance and closed his eyes, letting out a faked aroused groan.

“You can’t say ‘nothing’, when I’m sitting in my office!”

On the other end of the line there was giggle.

“Let me guess…Foreman.”

“Uh hu… so what color do your panties have?”

“You mean the ones I will allow you to throw through your bedroom this night?”

He gulped at that and a hoarse “Yeah” came out of his mouth.

“They’re black… as black as my eyes, soft and lacy. I can’t wait to feel your fingers glide under them tonight. Will you play with me tonight?” she said in her bedroom voice and he moaned silently at the thought of her skin under his fingers.

“Uh hu…”

She giggled again.

“You know, with phonesex usually both people say something. Are you going to let me do all the work or are you being a little prude right now? You know, you started this…”

“I’m sorry, I can’t think when you talk about fingers under your panties…”

He heard laughter on the other end of the line and put this hoarse, flirting tone into his voice again.

“You can’t even imagine what I will be doing to you tonight… Maybe you should sleep a little right now, I might take the whole night…”

“Promises, promises…”

“No, you can’t play with yourself right now, all mine!”

“Oh, doctor, you are so mean… I’ve been such a good girl…” she replied in a girly voice and it took real effort not to start to snicker.

“We’ll see what a good girl you’ve been tonight… I think I’ll reward you for your services…”

“You might want to add that it was a blowjob or something like that or Foreman will think I’m doing your laundry…”

House turned around, staring his neurologist in the eye.

“No, I think Foreman knows that you are not doing my laundry but me.” He kicked her out of the line, making a snapshot of his openmouthed duckling.

A big grin spread on the diagnostician’s face.

“Busted. It’s not nice to eavesdrop, you know.”

 

***

 

His two male ducklings once more sat in the conference room, racking their brain about the newest symptoms of their current puzzle when Cameron came back from the test she’d been running.

“God… why do those tests have to be so boring? Can’t they invent something that doesn’t need hour long waiting?”

“What do you think how boring it is to sit in here, reading every tiny bit of paper in which rash or fever is mentioned?” Chase asked back, putting his pencil between his teeth again before mumbling “If only our big chief would help a little. He’s sleeping in there for two hours now.”

Cameron smiled a little at the sight of House laying in the beige chair, eyes closed. He almost looked nice and peaceful.

“I know. He called me around noon to ask how long it would take and then said something about a nap…”

“I bet he was delighted about your answer that it would take the whole night”, Foreman spoke up, getting weird looks from both Chase and Cameron.

“What does that mean? You know that the tests don’t take…”

“Didn’t mean the tests.” With that he got up from his chair and marched to the door that joined his office and the conference room, banging on it loudly. House jerked awake, looking at his neurologist with sleep clouded eyes.

“This better is important”, his ducklings heard him growl, before he reached into his pocket, taking out the Vicodin.

“I thought our boss should actually take part in the diagnosis-process”, Foreman growled and watched him swallow his pill.

With a silent groan the diagnostician finally got up and limped towards the door, firmly gripping the handle when he reached it.

Foreman frowned.

“You okay?”

“I’m just not a morning person…”

“It is in the afternoon.”

“And you just woke me. There is some logic in it if you look really, really hard.”

He limped towards the table, letting himself fall onto a chair heavily.

His gaze met Cameron’s and he held it for a couple of seconds, before turning towards the board, blinking his eyes.

“Okay… what do we know right now?”

Running his hand over his face he read the symptomes once again.

“Would you please get me a cup of coffee, Cameron?”

Foreman stared at his female colleague when she got up without a complaint, causing House to grunt “Will you shut your mouth please? That face doesn’t look good on you, I have proof from after the phone call this noon.”

Foreman obeyed, watching Cameron hand him his coffee, narrowing his eyes when her fingers touched his briefly.

“You tested for measles already?” House asked, still somewhat groggy.

“On it. But it takes a while. And I think she was vaccinated…” Cameron watched him carefully, how his right hand crawled around his thigh.

“Hmmm… did you talk to her pediatrician? How he kept the vaccine?”

“Ah… no? Why?”

“Because you are my immunologist and should know that the measles-vaccine is not heat resistent. Therefore they can’t use it in Africa. Maybe he screwed up. Either that, or Mommy and Daddy are lying and took her to a measles-party.”

His ducklings stared at him for a while, until he shooed them away to actually work while he limped back into his office, falling into the comfortable chair, leaning his head back.

She’d have to do this overload again soon.

And he didn’t know why.


	26. Trust

He had expected her to wait for him when he got home in some sexy new underwear, an inviting smile on her face. But when he opened his door and limped into his living room he saw a sleeping person on his couch, in jeans and one of his old Lynard Skynard T-Shirts. She was hugging a pillow, the TV showing one of the cartoons she always seemed to be watching and he couldn’t help but feel that this sight was everything near to perfect. He stayed on his place near the piano for some seconds when she started to move and slowly opened her eyes.

“You returned to quitting at 4:30”, she stated, lifting herself from the sofa, blinking tiredly.

“Wilson will come over again, so I thought I’d get a little before I’m too drunk”, he replied, winking at her.

She smiled and stood up from the couch, approaching him.

“Lucky me”, she said before closing her arms around his waist, kissing him softly on his lips.

His right hand continued to grip on his cane firmly while he used the other one to slide under the shirt and caress her bare back.

“No bra?”

“Nope…”

“Are you trying to kill me?!” He pulled her towards him, letting her feel the growing bulge in his jeans.

“You have been a bad boy today. Starting phonesex with me and then you kicked me out of the line. Telling me that I was not allowed to play with myself”, she answered in a hoarse voice before kissing him more harshly.

“I have a real good photo of Foreman’s stupid face, though”, he shot back with a grin, and then tried to pull the shirt over her head with one hand. She helped him and giggled when his left hand found its way easily to her right breast.

“The other one’s getting jealous.”

His tongue moved from her shoulder to her neck when he whispered “Don’t trust my leg right now…”

When she pulled back a little, he groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Aw, come on, don’t start to play doctor when we’re actually… well, playing doctor!”

“How bad is it?”

“Not so bad that I would stop right now!” he growled, pulling her towards him again.

“And I had a good cause to tell you that you were not allowed to play with yourself.”

Sitting down on the bench of his piano he dragged her along until she was standing between his legs, the cane now gone. Both of his hands now roamed over her body, also caring about the jealous breast.

“What cause?” she whispered, when his fingers reached the top button of her jeans, yanking her hips towards him.

“I want to play with you.”

He opened the first button slowly, being greeted by the sight of bare skin. The next button was opened faster, being followed by the third and the fourth really fast.

“No panties?!” he groaned, locking his deep blue eyes with her black gaze.

“Thought you might as well have easy access while playing with me”, she answered, her fingers caressing his slightly curly hair, letting go off it when he shoved the jeans down on her legs. After stepping out of the bundle of fabric she kicked it towards the entrance, walking back between his legs again.

“What will you be playing?”

He watched her, naked from head to toes, for a while, before placing a soft kiss on her stomach.

“Tell me when your legs get wobbly.”

Her fingers went into his hair again when he started to kiss her stomach again, circling his tongue around her navel, his hands caressing everywhere he could reach.

“I’ve been fantasizing the whole afternoon about those black panties you mentioned…” he groaned when his fingers slid over her hips. It had helped him to forget about Foreman’s weird glances towards Cameron everytime she complained how long the tests took.

Running his thumbs over her hipbones he left a hickey next to her navel and then had to grin about himself.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Greg House, marking his territory…

When his forefinger wandered over the small line of hair between her legs she sighed silently and moaned a little louder when he touched her with a feathery movement.

“Already wobbly?” he asked with a grin.

“You’re not playing with me, you’re teasing.”

At that he slid his forefinger between her wet folds, pressing it firmly against her clit.

“How about now?”

She placed her hands on his shoulders, grinning back at him when his eyes focused on her breasts.

“Make me come. I won’t collapse.

His mouth closed around one hard nipple, teeth slightly biting on it, sucking on it while he started to move that finger and she knew that she’d been wrong when he entered her in a swift motion and her hands had to grip firmly at his shoulders.

“Wanna bet on it?”

She shook her flushed face at that.

“I won’t”, she insisted.

He bit down on the nipple a little harder, accelerating the movements between her beautiful legs. He had her moaning in no time, now using two fingers expertly, while the other hand was playing with one breast so that it wouldn’t be jealous of the other one that had the attention of his tongue.

And yes, he definitely loved those two.

“Greg…”

“Hmmm… busy here…”

At that she climbed onto the bench, her knees next to both of his thighs and ripped his jeans open.

“Me too. Lift your hips.”

“Man, what a bossy place”, he grinned, doing what she said so she could shove down his trousers and boxers.

His back crashed against the piano and he was happy that the cover of the keys was down or their lovemaking would have been accompanied by some very weird sounds.

Now it was only their moans that could be heard when she closed her legs behind his back, crashing her lips onto his.

She queezed his waist with her thighs a little, panting a “not wobbly, see?” before she started to move her hips, making him forget the sarcastic remark that had been already on his tongue.

 

He was leaning against his piano for quite a while afterwards, with her head on his shoulder before he could string words together to real sentences again.

“They got wobbly.”

“Didn’t.”

She tried to climb off him but he held her in place, liking her weight on his lap, her sweaty body pressed firmly against his.

“Greg, Wilson’s coming over. I need a shower.”

He still didn’t let her go, looking at her with a serious expression.

“Why do you love me?”

She frowned at him.

“I haven’t made a list. Isn’t it enough for you to know that I do?”

He kept his expression.

“Why?”

“Because… you are you.”

This time he frowned.

“I’m eleven years older than you. I’m not the most handsome guy on earth. I’m gruff, grumpy… a pain in the ass. And not to forget: I’m damaged.”

She kissed him before she answered.

“Eleven years is nothing. And you are handsome, you look even better with that stubble than without.”

At that he had to grin, flattered.

“Nice is boring”, she continued, her voice getting more silent when she reached the last part of his monologue.

“And I’m damaged, too.”

He watched her intently, looking a bit confused when she concluded.

“What kind of warrior is afraid to fight?”

He let her go this time, watching her disappear into his bathroom with the jeans and the T-shirt under her arm.

After hearing his shower come to life he got up from the bench too, carefully balancing most of his weight on the left leg when he pulled his pants up from around his knees.

The one step for his cane then was nearly fatal, sending him down on the bench again when pain coursed through his thigh, making his knee bend.

Cursing under his breath he was almost glad that Hannah hadn’t bothered to remove his clothes. Fishing for the tube he growled silently at the limb, massaging it lightly at the same time.

He had wanted to keep it, now he had to live with it. And it wasn’t the leg’s fault that is was hurting.

What kind of diagnostician could not diagnose an aneurysm when he was experiencing it?

On the other hand… these dumbass doctors would have let him die if he hadn’t known what the colour of his pee meant…

When Hannah returned to his living room, he was still sitting at the piano, massaging is thigh, the closed Vicodin-tube in his other hand.

“Are you okay?”

“Can’t walk right now.”

She hooked her thumbs onto the pockets of her jeans, obviously thinking.

“Where do you keep your morphine?” she asked then.

“Are you just being polite, or didn’t you snoop around like every other woman would have?” he asked back.

She didn’t move.

“I don’t have to snoop around. I know where the fridge is, I know where your shirts are. I wouldn’t invade your privacy unless I’d really, really had a cause for doing that.”

His gaze rested on her for a while.

“You can’t be that perfect”, he said then silently.

“I’m far from being perfect. I just don’t snoop around. Where do you keep your morphine?”

“I don’t want it.”

“You’re in pain.”

“I don’t want it.”

He expected her to get angry because he was being that stubborn. He was surprised by himself saying that. The evening before she woke up again he didn’t hesitate.

And she surprised him by making “Hm” and walking to his side, sitting down next to him and putting his right arm over her shoulder.

Counting to three she stood up with him ignoring his protests that he was too heavy.

She made the way to his bedroom without even pulling a face once and sat him down on the bed, facing him again.

“Has the overload made you feel better or worse? And I want an honest answer.”

He studied her face for some seconds.

“Better. It started to hurt more again after the shooting. Jeez, I’ve been down already on 45 mg, and then this bastard had to come…”

“Do you want me to do it again?” she interrupted him.

“Yes.”

She kept biting her lower lip while she looked at his fingers that still were clenched around the Vicodin-tube. Then she looked into his eyes.

“It will really hurt”, she whispered.

“Already does”, he whispered back, catching one of her hands.

 

A soulshattering scream let Wilson forget that he was polite enough to actually knock although he knew House never locked the door when he was home.

Running to the bedroom he found the source for the noise, seeing his friend laying on the bed, his body stiff with pain, hands clawing into the mattress.

Hannah was kneeling next to him, her hands on the bad leg.

And her movements were the obvious cause of the pain.

“Are you crazy?!!! Let go off him!!!”

He tried to grab her but she ducked out of his arms, once again pressing her palms against the sides of the thigh, causing House to grunt into his pillow.

The second time he got a firm grip, pulling her off the bed, leaving her somewhere on the floor when he took his place next to the side of his friend, feeling his pulse, frowing at the look of House in pain. Serious pain.

“What did you do to him?!” he shouted at the woman, not waiting for the answer but turning back to a panting House.

“Where do you keep your morphine, Greg?”

The man on the bed just grunted something, turning his head to one side.

“Greg!”

Furious by now the oncologist turned to the woman again who was still stitting on the floor.

“You will pay for that!” he hollered before getting up and starting to dig into one of the wardrobes.

“Where do you have it, Greg?”

“Don’t want it”, was the faint answer from the bed.

“Greg, you…”

“He said he doesn’t want it”, it this time came louder from the floor, causing Wilson to spin around.

“You hurt him! I never thought you could do that consciously. And now you are telling me not to help him?” he ranted, ignoring the blue signs that were already forming on her upper arm, showing precisely all of his fingers.

“I asked her to…”

Wilson narrowed his eyes onto the person on the bed whose breathing had gotten slower.

“You asked her to”, he repeated, unbelieving.

House slowly opened his eyes again, gratefull for the numbness in his leg.

“I just wasn’t prepared for that much pain.”

“Neither was I”, a silent voice from the floor said and House turned his head again, trying to catch a look at her.

“What are you doing down there?”

“I pulled her off you! She was…”, Wilson started, finding himself in an angry, blue stare.

“Helping me for God’s sake. She knows a pressure point that works wonders!”

“And hurts like hell!” Wilson added, averting his gaze to the woman.

“We weren’t prepared!” House hollered, sitting up, kneeding some life into his bad leg with Wilson looking at him really confused.

“That… doesn’t hurt?!”

As if to prove that it didn’t House scooted off his bed, making some steps towards Hannah who by now was holding her arm.

“You okay?”

“Hmm…”

At that the diagnostician turned around, facing his friend again.

“You hurt her!”

“I was trying to protect you!”

“By hurting the woman I love? You could have asked what was going on!”

Wilson opened his mouth at that, then closed it again. House still was staring at him, so he had to say something.

“See… I’m sorry…”

“Don’t tell me, tell her!”

Behind him Hannah had gotten up from the floor, not looking at them.

“I think I need to go to the bathroom”, she said silently, leaving the bedroom.

House sighed loudly.

“Great. This is just fucking great.”

“House… she was hurting you… I saw her, and I heard you scream, and…”

“You just attacked a woman who is suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder! Do you think this will do any good?!” House exploded.

“Only soldiers have…”

“Yeah, she’s an Ex-Marine. You’re lucky that you are still alive!” the diagnostician snapped.

“And how should I have known? You didn’t exactly scream ‘Medical treatment by traumatised Ex-soldier’!” Wilson snapped back, making House’s eyes narrow on him.

“That I didn’t”, he then admitted, somewhat softer.

“Can we cancel our date for tonight?” the head of the department of diagnostics asked his friend then.

“I’m really sorry, Greg”, Wilson said, watching him go to the bathroomdoor. There still was a little limping in his steps. But he didn’t need the cane…

“I know. And I also know that you will appologize to her. But right now I need to find out how much damage you caused. And you won’t tell anybody!”

 

He found her sitting on the floor next to the tub, her arms folded around her knees, Wilsons fingers showing on her upper arm.

At least she didn’t sit there, murmuring some kind of mantra. She locked her eyes with his the moment he entered the room

“You okay?” he asked and she looked at him confused.

“I should ask you that.”

“But I’m asking you.”

She averted her eyes, laying her chin on her knees.

“See that shrink again”, House said then silently, not surprised that she didn’t react.


	27. Another holy war

“I expected you in my office 20 minutes ago!” a sharp voice said behind him making House frown at himself because he was standing at the reception in the clinic without having though about Cuddy who could spot him there.

“I didn’t shout at any pregnant teenies today so I saw no need for me to be in your office, director”, he mocked over his shoulder, signing a prescription and handing it to the patient next to him.

“Take three a day, one after each meal. Take all of them, no storing them for bad times this time”, he advised, ignoring Cuddy who was still standing behind him.

He had already grabbed another file when she started tapping her foot to the floor.

“You know, this might annoy the nurses…”

“In my office! NOW!!!” she snapped at him, turning on her heals.

House winked at the nurse that was taking back the file he just had started to read.

“Duty calls… no phone calls for at least an hour!”

“Oh… wishful thinking”, she grinned back. Actually, Dr. House was quite entertaining to the nurses. He didn’t treat them well, but he also didn’t do that with the other doctors, so it was funny to witness him interact with other people.

“What? You think I won’t last an hour?”

“No, I think her voice won’t… this time she really looks pissed.”

With a frown he turned around walking towards her office.

This time he really didn’t know what it was that he could have done and that bugged him.

 

She sat behind her desk, waiting for him impatiently.

“I have a complaint here”, she said, looking at him seriously.

“Please, when don’t you. I just didn’t…”

“Someone reported you for sexual harassment.”

At that his expression froze. He never touched, unless he had to.

“Who?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you who reported you.”

“No, I want to know whom I am molesting according to the person that reported me.”

Then he would think of a plausible explanation.

Her eyes rested on him.

“As if you don’t know that.”

His cane smacked loudly onto her desk, making her jerk.

“No, I don’t know. And you should know me better. I’m not that stupid!”

She just looked back.

“There will be an investigation. I just wanted to let you know.”

“I have the right to know…!”

“You can go now.”

He stared at her for some seconds before he left her office, too occupied with himself that he forgot about the patient that was waiting for him in exam room 1.

 

***

 

Cameron looked tired when she went into the conference room, where the three male doctors were arguing once more about the cause for the illness of their current only patient.

“It’s the measles”, she said silently, sitting down on her chair.

“Told you so”, House growled at the other two ducklings, taking a look at his female one.

“You look like crap.”

“Why, every woman likes to hear that, House”, she shot back, running a hand over her face.

“I had to redo the test. The vial broke. Just got the results.”

“Good explanation for an all nighter”, Foreman stated, getting once again confused looks from all his colleagues.

“I also talked to the pediatrician. He’s sure that the vaccine wasn’t exposed to warmth.”

“But she’s been vaccinated.”

Cameron nodded, closing her eyes for a second when pain started to crawl into her temples.

“Maybe they faked it”, Chase suggested

His female colleague shook her head.

“I don’t think so. I told you I treated her in the clinic two weaks ago, I saw her papers.”

“Well, the vaccine is not a 100% secure. Maybe she is one of the exceptions.”

House didn’t take his eyes off his female minion that by now was shielding her eyes against the sunlight that was falling into the conference room.

“Do your eyes hurt?”

“I spent the whole morning staring into a microscope.”

“That is no explanation for you playing Winnetou”, he mocked, putting his left hand also above his eyes.

“They hurt?”

“Yes.”

“Stand up.”

The three doctors by now looked at him confused.

“Why?”

“Just do it, okay?”

Cameron stood up from her chair before the men could say something and squeezed her eyes half shut against the sunlight.

Foreman was the first who started to protest loudly when the rubber end of House’s cane shoved her skirt up so they could see her thighs.

“Are you crazy now?!”

“What’s the symptoms for measles?” House snapped back while Cameron pushed the skirt down again, staring at him in disbelief.

“Fever, rash…”

“Sensitivity to light (at least I could barely open my eyes for 3 days when I had that plague.). Rash that is starting in most cases at the inside of the thighs”, the diagnostician completed her list,  and repeated his movement.

Tiny red dots had started to spread on the soft skin of his female minion.

“I’ve been vaccinated”, she exclaimed, pushing her skirt down once more, before sitting down heavily on the chair again with Chase by her side who put his hand on her forehead.

“You’re hot.”

“Yes, that she is. And she’s running a fever”, House stated, making Cameron shake her head and smile at the same time.

“Get her a bed. Foreman, report two cases of measles. Might be a new strain.”

 

***

 

“You shoved her skirt up with your cane in the middle of your conference room?!” Cuddy screeched surprising him that much that his pen drew a line over half of the paper he just intended to sign.

“Jeez, they’ll think I’m some kind of nutcase reading that!” he retorted, locking his dark blue gaze on her light blue one.

“You are already! I told you there would be an investigation concerning sexual harassment and you’re doing something like that!”

“Did Cameron also tell you that I was diagnosing measles?”

Her eyes narrowed on him and House intensified his stare.

“No, your story teller came by once more…”, he then stated, folding his arms in front of his chest.

“Wait, you’re saying I’m molesting Cameron? She’s the one who is secretly in love with me, not the other way round.”

“Please! You’re always touching her somehow, not letting her out of your eyes, phoning her…”

“That would be called… uh… don’t know… flirting? Ah, no, wait, it’s work!  Even more when she isn’t the one who came running… to… report.” Ending his sentence thoughtfully he got up from his chair, walking around the desk

“Foreman’s your little tattletale!!”

“I didn’t …”

At that he growled, trying to smack his cane against something and only now realized that it was still leaning against the desk.

“Okay… that spoiled the effect… nevertheless: I AM NOT MOLESTING CAMERON! And I’m going to fire Foreman.”

Cuddy by now stared at him openmouthed.

“You can’t fire him just because you assume…”

“If you assume, you make an **ass** out of **u** and **me**. I don’t assume, I know he came running. I can’t prove it, but there’s happened enough in the last month to fire him. He’s not being constructive anymore, he’s just doing the oposite of everything I’m doing.”

“He witnessed that phonecall. You can’t even deny that!”

“He witnessed a phonecall. So what?”

“Of you asking Cameron what colour her panties were!” Cuddy exlaimed now, her eyes wandering from his face to his leg and back.

“Of me asking the woman at my house what colour her panties were. She was wearing none, by the way, and I only can repeat that I wouldn’t do anything like that to a fellow of mine. If I wanted anything from her I could have had it already.”

“You can’t prove that!” Her voice was painfully loud by now.

“Did you talk to Cameron before **ass u ming** that Foreman was right, or did you jump right into your crusade?!” he shouted back.

“I thought you were over being Mommy who says yes, when Daddy says no.”

“That has nothing to do with our Mommy – Daddy thing.”

“Oh, come on, of course it has. You were on my side this time, when something didn’t go the way he wanted it. So he had to come with something to gain your attention back.”

Cuddy rolled her eyes on him by now.

“He’s a grown man. You know that, don’t you?”

“’Course I do. Doesn’t change the fact that we mutate into little boys again if something doesn’t go the way we want it. I want to talk to him. With you present.”

By now the dean of PPTH looked really surprised. House had started to sound calm again. And looked for a buffer between him and his minion. Of course she had heard about the continous fights between the two of them, House being the stubborn alpha male and Foreman… testing him. Challenging him. Testosterone dripping.

Sometimes she was really glad that she was a woman. Intelligent mobbing at least wasn’t that loud.

“Because he said you were molesting Cameron.”

“Because he is sabotageing me wherever he can. He doesn’t respect me. Would you keep an employee like that?”

“You are not respecting me”, she shot back, being caught in his earnest stare.

“I do respect you. I just don’t always behave like that. And you know that.”

Cuddy looked at her diagnostician for quite a while.

“You’ll fire him whatever I say, won’t you?”

“Yes. But when we don’t do the talking stuff it will look as if I fired him because he was right. I am not harassing Cameron, because if I wanted something from her I could have it.  But since I’m a monogamist, I’ll stick with the woman sleeping in my bed, taking my cover all the time and shoving her cold feet to my side…” Realizing that he got carried away a bit there he stopped himself, looking at his boss who had narrowed her eyes on him at the last sentence.

“Are you telling me…”

“I’m taken. Whipped, actually.”

“And you are not telling me that to soften me for the talk tomorrow, before I start the investigation?”

Now he was the one looking surprised.

“You didn’t already?”

“Well, I wanted to start with talking to Cameron, but she’s ill right now, and I didn’t want to disturb her.”

“You came in here yelling at me for shoving her skirt up. You didn’t try to talk to her this morning?”

“She came in after you this morning… I have a board meeting this afternoon, but I’ll let you know about an appointment tomorrow in the morning, okay?”

House just nodded, sitting down behind his desk and printing the letter he just had intended to sign, his fingers stopping over his keyboard when Cuddy had left his office.

Cameron had said she’d had to redo the test…

Looking for the file of the measles baby he shoved some other papers over the edge of his desk, finally holding the results of the mentioned test in his hands.

The date on the printout said it had been finished yesterday, at 07:43 p.m.

His female minion had lied to him.

Quite successfully, he had to admit.

Which brought him to the question, why she’d done it.

 

***

 

“Honey, I’m home!”

He had to grin at himself when he hollered that into his home, seeing her high heels next to his piano.

“You been out?”

Throwing his backpack next to her heels he walked into his living room, seeing an open bottle of beer on the coffeetable.

“Hannah?”

“I’m in the kitchen.”

“I hope you are not cooking”, he mocked around the corner and then found her sitting on the counter, her bare feet dangling in the air while she was waiting for the alarm clock in her hands to ring.

“Oh dear, you made pizza!” he grinned, walking between her legs and stealing a kiss.

“Hmmm… talking to a shrink makes me hungry.”

“I thought it makes you wanna punch them?”

“Can’t punch my brother in law, my sister would kill me”, she smiled, pulling him closer for another kiss.

“How’s the leg?”

“Good. I forgot my cane once today, which was somehow bad because I wanted to smack it against something to stress how angry I was.”

She sighed.

“What did Foreman do this time?”

“Told Cuddy I was molesting Cameron. Reported me for sexual harassment.”

She let her hands rest on his hips, staring at him.

“You are kidding me.”

“I wish I was. And I think Cuddy didn’t believe me when I told her I’d rather molest the girl I have at home.”

“You told her about us?”

“Nah, I just said I was a monogamist and taken… and that it was not Cameron.”

Her feet were by now crossed behind his thighs, pulling him even closer.

“What happens now? This harassment-stuff can be a bitch!”

“Cuddy hasn’t started the investigation yet. I’ll talk to Foreman and her tomorrow. Then I’ll have to hire a new neurologist.”

“Tell them we’re together.”

“To have the whole hospital peep in on our relationship? No, thank you. And you know they will, because it is me we’re talking about.”

He kissed her again, trying to take the alarm clock out of her hands.

“No! I want to eat it this time, not throw the charcoal-remainders into the trash!”

“How long…?”

“Three minutes. Not even you are that good.”

He thought about prooving her wrong but then decided that it was more fun to take his time. So he settled for making out until the clock rang, startling them both.

“You sharing?” he asked with a grin on his face.

“Hmmm… if you are reeeeeally nice to me afterwards… And by the way: I’m the only one you’re allowed to harass!”

She hopped off the counter to take the pizza out of the oven and had to laugh when she felt his hand caress over her butt.

“Oh, Dr. House, is that part of the examination?” she asked and he had to laugh loudly at the girly, innocent sound of her voice.

“No. Special treatment for you, little lady”, he grinned, when she cut their food into eight pieces, his hand wandering up to her hip.

“Oh, I feel so special!”

He just snickered at that, grabbing one of the slices.

“Hey, my pizza!”

“You said you’d share.” He took a bite and tried not to grin while he was chewing the hot pizza.

“Well, I still don’t have the assurance you’ll be really, really nice to me afterwards.” She grabbed the slice back and put it down on the plate, trying to go to the table.

Trying.

He pushed her back against the counter, crashing his lips hungrily down on hers.

“I’ll make you scream my name”, he whispered into her ear before giving free the way.

She made two steps before turning around to him again.

“Come on. Your half is getting cold.”

 

***

 

“Great. Now it is cold”, Hannah growled when she had freed herself out of his embrace to take a bite of her second slice of pizza.

He positioned a trail of tiny wet kisses down her spine and grinned against her naked skin.

“Yeah… but you, baby, were really hot…” he said, reaching around her to grab his last slice, devouring it in a few bites.

She slid into his arms again, slowly eating her food, suddenly wincing.

“You okay?”

“Yeah… my butt just reminded me to keep my skirt on next time we’re on it on your leather couch.”

He laughed silently at that, taking a bite from the offered slice before kissing her again.

“I want to eat my pizza now, you know?” she complained, when his hands started to wander over her naked body again, teasing still sensitive nerves.

“Please, it’s cold already, what could another twenty minutes hurt?

“You’re insatiable…”

“You know that first flush of passion has to die down eventually. Want to make the best of it as long as it lasts…”

She frowned at him for some seconds, before putting the half eaten slice down again.

“It will die down only if we let it…”, she smiled, grabbing his arms and rolling him onto his back effortlessly, straddling him.

“Oh, my, doctor, are you glad to see me?”

He shook his head at the girly sound of that and moaned silently when her warm skin touched his once more. Before he could answer, though, her lips crashed onto his, her tongue forcing free the way into his mouth.

Her growling stomach made him laugh.

“Go, eat your food!”

“Nah, I’m horny right now!”

With that her fingers curled around his growing penis and to his laugh came another aroused groan and she also laughed.

“Hey, a woman can change her mind!”

“Yep… about 20 times per second.”

Her hand was pumping him faster by now, with her leaning in to run her tongue over his chest, circling his nipples.

“Oh, you know from experience?!” she grinned against his skin, letting go off his dick to catch his hands that were trying to grope her breasts.

He was taken aback by the strenght with which she held him at his wrists, effectively pinning his arms above his head.

Before he could answer she stole another breathtaking kiss, lifting her hips so she could tease his tip with her moist, tender folds.

Another groan escaped his throat when she lowered herself onto his erection, contracting her inner muscles around him… still not letting go off his hands.

It was driving him crazy that he was not able to touch her, though the steady pace her hips set made him forget about her breasts, all the feeling concentrating to the region where he was joined with her.

It actually took him some minutes to realize that she had sat up, her hands caressing over his thighs, her hips, up to her breasts, touching them like only a woman could. It looked rough… even painful how her fingers were pressing into her skin, nearly clawing.

“Hey, don’t break them!”

She giggled silently before bending down again, grabbing his arms and bringing them up to her body.

Her black gaze locked onto his blue eyes.

“Make me scream…”

His hips bucked at that husky sentence, making her gasp. With an evil grin he evaded those two, rather bringing his forefinger to her clit, bucking for a second time.

“Oh God…”

“No, it’s Greg”, he grinned while sitting up and bringing his other hand that was not teasing her around her back, to loose his fingers in her soft hair.

Her legs closed around his back, bringing her even closer to him, with her nibbling on his neck.

She bit down on the muscles between his neck and his shoulder, when he again thrust into her forcefully, freeing a rough “Hrraah” out of her throat.

“Still the wrong name”, he growled, accelerating the movements of his finger against her clit, pinching one erect nipple with the other hand. Not caring if the other breast got jealous this time.

Her black eyes locked onto him with an amused gaze, kissing him lazily on his lips, when another hard thrust made her gasp again.

A throaty “Greg…” escaped her this time and he couldn’t help but moan when she contracted her inner muscles around him again and then let go.

“Two can play this game”, she hissed, repeating her action.

“I won’t last any longer if you continue…”

She interrupted him by doing it again.

This time it was him who let out a “God!” before crashing his lips onto hers, rubbing her even faster.

Suddenly, she broke the contact, throwing her head back, arching her back.

Steadying herself on his thighs with her hands she bucked her hips for one last time and this time the contractions were something she couldn’t control, her arms not able to hold her when she sank back, screaming his name against his last thrust that sent him over the edge, clawing his fingers into her thighs, his fingernails drawing blood when he desperately had to hold onto something.

Exhausted he fell back onto his couch, humming silently when he felt her move, trying not to break the contact to him when she dropped her sweaty body onto his chest, her cheek against his colarbone, her soft lips placing tiny kisses on it.

He had to laugh really loud when her stomach growled again, as if to remind her that she couldn’t only live of love and oxygen.

Picking up the half eaten slice he held the pizza under her nose and smiled, when she lazily took the first bite, then snatched it out of his hands, devouring it in three bites.

“Told you I’d never again forget to feed you”, he smiled into her hair, his hand drawing circles on the warm skin of her back.

“If I get cold pizza for something like that… what do I have to do for a warm one?” she grinned back, her hand extending for the next slice.

His hand stopped its movements, his second arm also sneaking around her back, pulling her closer towards him.

“This can get even better?”

She lifted her head, catching him in her black gaze again.

“You have no idea.”

 

***

 

The bed was empty.

She couldn’t sleep when it was empty.

Since she was out of the hospital they hadn’t been a night apart, his arms securely folded around her.

Soft sounds from the living room told her that he was sitting at his piano, in the middle of the night, playing something that sounded like anything Bach could have written but she wasn’t sure.

She put on one of his shirts, slowly strolling towards the door, watching him play for a while.

His fingers danced so easily over the keys, almost mocking her and her inability to synchronize the movements of both her hands when she was sitting behind this instrument. For her practicing always had been hard work, forcing her hands to do what she wanted.

He was a natural, his long fingers caressing the keys, making the piano sing like they made her scream his name.

He looked up when she sat down next to him, resting her head against his shoulder.

“Sorry. Didn’t want to wake you.”

“You didn’t. The bed was empty.”

He didn’t stop playing and soon she found herself humming along with the melody.

She was half asleep against his shoulder, her hands around his waist when he stopped.

“Do you think I’m to hard on Foreman?” he asked silently, causing her to lift her head, looking at him.

“What do you think?”

House sighed.

“That he’s sawing on my chair and I should get rid of him. Very alpha male.”

“Well, you are the alpha male…”

He frowned at her.

“Yes, you are. Chase is able to subordinate. Allison doesn’t count ‘cause she’s a woman. Foreman’s the youngster who’s daring you and doesn’t realize that the old lion is far from being the weaker one. If you were a lion you would kill him. But since we are civilized you fire him.”

He laughed silently at that.

“You been watching the discovery channel lately?”

“Well… I had to rest, and bimbo-TV just lets my blood pressure climb to astronomical heights.”

His fingers still rested against the keys, now climpering an easy melody of a lullaby.

“I hate job interviews”, he then stated.

“Delegate…”

Again he frowned at her.

“Yeah, delegate. Let Allison and Chase look at them, since they have to work with them. Let them narrow down the candidates. Just look at the ones they say.”

“Did you learn that at the Marines?”

“Nah, there I just barked orders. Sometimes it felt like everybody beyond Lieutenant Colonel just couldn’t think one coherent thought without someone ordering them to…”

She got silent for a while, listening to the easy melody while he mused about what she just had said.

She’d already been pretty high in the hierarchy for her age…

Warm lips touched his neck, making him forget what he just had thought.

“Don’t worry about tomorrow…”

“I don’t worry.”

“You wouldn’t be sitting here if you didn’t. If they don’t believe you, tell them about us. When Allison is better the truth will come out anyhow.”

House sighed at that.

“They won’t leave us alone.”

“We’ll ignore them. I know you can do that.”

He couldn’t help but grin at that.

“Yes, I believe I’ve done that one or two times…”

“Then stop worrying.”

“When was the last time you heard they believed the accused one that he didn’t molest the girl?” he asked her.

“Well… I’m related to some kick ass lawyers… if Cuddy doesn’t believe you they can make her… you don’t have mob connections by chance? You could call in some favours?” she grinned at him, making him smile as well.

“How do you think I got my corvette?”

The corners of her mouth curled upwards against the skin of his throat.

“I knew I picked the right guy…”

“Huh?”

“Please, what girl wants a beta male?”


	28. And the Oscar goes to...

Her telling him not to worry didn’t really help.

Not that he expected it to, but sometimes even he wanted to believe that it could be that easy.

Still he was sitting in Cuddy’s office, him and her on the comfortable couch, watching Eric Foreman sit down on a chair front of them.

“Dr. Foreman. I assume you know why we are here”, the dean of PPTH started und House frowned at the word assume, tapping his cane to the floor. Cuddy threw him an angry look, but then turned to the neurologist again.

“Of course I know why we are here. Obviously you don’t think about protecting your sources”, his coloured duckling snapped, making House growl.

“I figured it out on my own, thank you. Though it wasn’t really hard to find out after you directly ran to her after the measles diagnosis.”

“You shoved her skirt…!”

“I know what I did! And don’t you think Cameron is capable of defending herself? She always tells me when I’m pushing too far!” House interrupted him, with Foreman narrowing her eyes on him.

“Please. You know how she is feeling for you. And you are taking advantage of that!”

House growled again, not being able to sit through that and got up from the couch.

“Still none of your business. There are no frat-regs for doctors in this hospital!”

Cuddy looked at him confused.

“Frat-what?”

House sighed.

“Jeez…  It’s not your concern whom I’m _fraternizing_  with!”

“Fraterni… oh, okay, I got it!” Cuddy turned back to Foreman, who still looked as if he hadn’t understood what his boss meant.

“What makes you think Dr. House is sexually harassing Dr. Cameron.”

Foreman straightened his back, looking at Cuddy and not at House, who had started pacing behind the couch, his cane thumping loudly onto the wooden floor.

“She seems to be hiding from him. He’s somehow always touching her… grazing her fingers when he made her bring coffee, the thing with the skirt…”

“I diagnosed that she was sick!” House burst out, but Cuddy silenced him with one look.

“Couldn’t she just be busy instead of hiding? Has she ever told you she felt uncomfortable when he touched her? Can’t these touches just be coincidence?”

“It’s too frequent for coincidence.”

Cuddy looked over her shoulder again.

“Could you sit down please? You’re driving me crazy!”

House stopped pacing and reluctantly sat down again, his eyes fixing on Foreman.

“Because I’m touching her I’m harassing her? You touched her too, you lay a hand on her shoulder once!”

Foreman snorted at that.

“Yeah, once. But I don’t phone her to ask her what colour her panties are!”

House growled again, this time feeling like the lion Hannah had compared him to. He really wanted to kill the youngster right now.

“You don’t even know if that was Cameron.”

“You joked you asked that question because she was bored. She even told me you phoned her when she had been in the lab, being bored by the test”, the neurologist put out his evidence while House rolled his eyes.

“Right. Cameron was the only bored female on earth that noon.”

“Well then tell me who else you phoned”, Foreman dared, making him narrow his eyes.

Cuddy sighed, looking at the two doctors.

“You know, that actually is a good idea. Tell him who you phoned, and we can go back to work.”

She was surprised by the angry look he shot her.

“That is none of his business! Don’t you see what he’s trying?!”

Her mouth gapped open for some seconds, then she closed it again.

“What am I trying?” Foreman asked the diagnostician meanwhile, a dangerous smile around the corners of his mouth.

House looked at him calmly.

“Open confrontation doesn’t work. The old lion’s not the weaker one there. So you try mobbing me out by destroying my reputation.”

While Cuddy frowned at the comparison, Foreman continued to grin.

“I’m just trying to save a colleague and friend.”

“The hell you are. You are using her to get rid of me. And save the friend bullshit. You were the one telling her that she was just a colleague!” And he still hated himself for what he had done to her when he let Foreman steal her article.

“I changed. She saved my life.” Foreman stated calmly

To his surprise House didn’t explode. He just stared him down, his face motionless.

“There’s nothing I can do to make you take the accusations back.”

“Not until you tell me and show me proof of who you phoned that day.”

“That is not going to happen.”

Cuddy sighed.

“That doesn’t get us anywhere. Why don’t you just…”

“My private life is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” House snapped at her. They would never leave him alone when they learned who was his current love interest. They would never leave her alone. He still needed to make sure that Cameron was okay with him and Hannah and it bugged him that he cared enough about her to make sure that she was okay. Wilson had to swear on all the hookers and nurses he had banged that he wouldn’t tell anyone.

“I knew you phoned her!” Foreman exclaimed.

House just pressed his lips together. Cuddy turned to him again.

“House… just… and if it was her, so what? I’ll talk to her… we can arrange something…”

“Yeah, and then she has to be afraid to lose her job for no reason every time she opens her mouth!” Foreman snapped, regretting what he had said when House’s expression changed.

“It’s not her who will lose her job!” he growled in his most dangerous, low tone that made the neurologist want to run and hide.

“You… you are threatening me…” he got out, making House growl again.

“I’m not threatening you. The decision is already made.”

“You are firing me because I reported you! That won’t work!” his coloured soon to be ex-duckling exclaimed.

“I’m firing you because you’re not doing your job. When Cuddy has talked to Cameron your accusations will be worth nothing, so it’s a win win for me.”

“Yeah, because Cameron’s too afraid to say anything against you!”

House just stared at him and the dean of PPTH sighed again.

“Why can’t you just tell me whom you phoned?”

House stared at her, his blue eyes for once pleading her not to ask him again, not to pressure him.

“Because it was Cameron!” Foreman piped up, being startled just as much as the two other doctors when a female voice behind them spoke up.

“No, it was me.”

 

***

 

Three pairs of eyes looked at Hannah McLachlan who was standing in the door towards Cuddy’s office.

“What are you doing here?” House finally managed to say. She looked him directly in the eye, her expression not changing a bit when she said “I had an appointment with my doctor who didn’t show up. Found him in here instead.”

His mouth stood open for some seconds at her ability to lie without showing the smallest bit of a sign.

“I… I must have forgotten”, he stammered, still confused why exactly she made up the thing with an appointment.

“He phoned you?” Cuddy piped in really confused.

“If we’re talking about the panty-call Foreman came telling tales, then yes. It was me.”

Foreman rolled his eyes at that.

“What did he offer you for that? My job?”

The head of genetics laughed loudly at that.

“Dr. Foreman, I do believe I have already a better job. And he didn’t ask me. I overheard the conversation. You are not exactly quiet in here.”

Cuddy had turned around to House again.

“You are molesting _her_?”

“ I AM NOT molesting ANYONE, for heaven’s sake!” House growled, throwing his stranger an angry look. That didn’t make anything better.

“You asked her about…”

“Yeah, I know, I was taking part in this phonecall if I remember right! And I have no interest in sexually harassing anyone!”

“That doesn’t prove anything! He still could pay her!” Foreman snapped, being hit almost immediately by a cellphone.

“Look it up. His number is in the list. And think about side effects of Vicodin.”

Now three confused eyepairs looked at her. Foreman frowned.

“What side effects of Vicodin could make him incapable of harassing women?”

House just groaned and hid his head in his hands. Cuddy’s eyes suddenly widened when she saw him hide.

“Oh…”

By now the diagnostician shook his head. That was so not happening. Standing up from the couch he couldn’t even look at Cuddy when she made a second “Oh… my…”

“I’m out of here!” he growled, limping past Hannah and slammed the door behind him.

“What side effect…”, Foreman started again, being cut off by the dean of PPTH.

“You’ve lost, Dr. Foreman.”

“But… Why??!!”

Hannah took back her cellphone, growling at the neurologist.

“Look it up.”

Cuddy watched the female neurologist leave her office, not listening to the complaints the other one murmured into his beard.

Suddenly all his refuses to interact with her half of the mankind made perfect sense…

 

***

 

She found him on the roof, being quite surprised that she walked out the door the moment he had turned around to look at the campus.

“I think I should apologize…”, she started and he turned around, anger dominating his expression.

“You just fucking told them I was shooting blanks! Actually, you told them I wasn’t even shooting!” he snapped and this time she stared at her feet, not confronting him.

“I’m really sorry. I’ll go down and tell Cuddy about last night, if you want me to…”

She had to wait for two seconds until a cocky grin appeared on his face, and it took real effort to replace it with the angry look.

“You just saved my ass in there by telling them I had a decreased sex drive!” he growled.

“I told Foreman to think about the side effects of Vicodin. His question made everyone assume I meant this sex drive thing. I was talking about slowing your pulse…”

“Like hell you did.”

“Well… you provoked it by the ‘no interest in harassing anyone’ comment.”

“I’ll harass you the whole night for that.”

“Thank God, and I thought I was the one not getting any for two days now.”

She stepped closer towards him, watching him carefully.

“I really didn’t want to imply anything like that. I marched in there to kill Foreman.”

“Well. You did kill something. But that was Cuddy’s hope of me being the spermdonor for her babies…”

“Oh, that’s okay. You’ll only be donating for our babies, you know.”

He frowned at her theatrically.

“But I’m a genius. My genes need to be spread! The world will go stupid without!”

She burst into laughter, seeing his attempts of keeping an earnest face.

“Oh, stop being such a drama queen, Greg.”

She finally closed up to him and he drew her into an embrace, slightly kissing her lips.

“If I hear anything about that in the gossip mill, I’ll have my way with you in my office, blinds open. And the child will be called ‘desk’ after I’ve changed your birth controll pills to placebos”, he threatened, feeling her shake in his arms when she giggled.

“I thought I’d be doing the naming… how about floor… comfortable chair… entrance door…?”

He gulped at that and then cleared his throat.

“The leg’s not up for ‘entrance door’”, he replied hoarsly.

“Yeah, but the kid will never know that and be really proud of his or her Daddy…”, she grinned.

“You suggest we lie at ‘floor’ he’s an ‘entrance door’?”

“You know, this is a very weird conversation…”

“Says the woman who has sex every night with the guy with no sex drive.”

“Yeah, I know, I should get an Oscar for my performance… is there a cathegory for ‘Seduce the guy with no sex drive’?”

“Don’t know. Is there one for ‘Make the I’m no screamer-girl scream my name’?”

She smiled at that, leaning her head against his chest, closing her arms around his waist.

“I’m really sorry I made you feel uncomfortable in there.”

“Well, it got me out of this harassing stuff really fast…”

He could live with the rest.

 

***

 

At least he thought he could live with it.

Still he found himself really confused in front of Wilson’s office.

She had made him angry. She had made him uncomfortable.

Everybody else would have been hit by his uncensored anger, declaring loudly in front of Cuddy and Foreman that he was as potent as any porn actor and shoving it in everybody's face why exactly she knew that.

Instead, he ran away.

Instead, they were talking about children again.

“Jeez… I can’t be that desperate”, he murmured to himself, finding the office empty, and, closing the door, he started to look for his friend.

He didn’t have to go far.

Wilson stepped out of a patient’s room, slightly looking around as if he wanted to make sure that nobody had seen him.

House hid behind a corner and waited until his friend was gone.

When he saw the number of the room some pieces of the puzzle began to make sense again.

He didn’t care to knock but silently moved into the room they had kept Cameron since yesterday.

She was awake, laying in the bed while all the blinds were closed and the light was out. Her green eyes opened slightly to identify her visitor before closing them again with a groan.

“Hey”, she made silently when he didn’t say anything.

“You lied to me”, he stated and when she didn’t do anything he could barely keep himself from repeating it louder.

“You came in after me yesterday. The test was finished the evening before”, he continued.

“You came here to accuse me because I lied about being late yesterday?”

He took a seat next to her bed, sighing.

“I came here to make sure you don’t do something stupid.”

“Be careful. You sound like you care.” She sounded bitter and he knew she had every right to do so.

He was quiet for a while.

“I do”, he then said silently, making her turn around to him.

“Are you trying to find out how much more miserable you can make me?” she snapped, her eyes still small slits and he shook his head, a bit amused.

“Jeez, and Foreman thought you couldn’t defend yourself against me.”

“Why would I have to defend myself?” his female duckling asked confused and he growled at himself for now having to reveal what had happened.

“He reported me for sexually harassing you.”

“What? How…?”

“I have no idea. I mean, you wouldn’t be refusing me if I was, would you?”

She shot up from her bed at that.

“How can you…!”

Feeling dizzy she sank down again.

“You’re right… maybe I wouldn’t…”, was the weak answer and he shook his head.

“Aw, come on. You’d let me molest you because you like me?”

“It’s… I… why are you here, House?” she changed the topic and he let her.

Yet the topic he was here about was maybe just as delicate…

“What did you do that night?”

“Found some guy at a bar and took him home”, came the defiant answer.

He was silent for a while not daring to ask if it was only because of him.

“What… no mocking me for being that weak, only because I can’t have the great Gregory House?”

He sighed.

“I can’t change that, Allison. I can’t change what you feel, as well as I can’t change what I feel. It’s not that I don’t like you. I do, and I don’t care if you tell anyone because they won’t believe you. It’s just…”

“You love _her_ ”, she finished his sentence, pulling her cover up to her chin. He nodded slowly.

“I should have jumped you the first time I saw you…”

House frowned at that. Her eyes were focused on him again, watching his confused expression through small slits.

“Oh, come on, didn’t you assume we were talking about you? I was comfortable with the thought about the two of you. Hannah was my friend… and I betrayed her. I know we wouldn’t have worked.”

“You know…?” He was really confused by now.

“You can’t hurt her. Your being you can’t do that.”

“But I can hurt you. I’ve done it and I’ll do it again.”

He thought about that for a while. His mouth always had been a tad faster than the part of his brain that told him that this time it was better to shut up.

“And then I was just glad that he didn’t shoot you, feeling guilty as hell because I felt like that.”

“Don’t.”

“But…”

“No. It’s alright. To whom do you think I would have turned if she…” He gulped. He didn’t even want to think about that.

“Voluntarily? To nobody. I already had a plan to get you off the roof if…”

Both fell silent for a while, Cameron wrapping herself into her blanket.

“What would you have said?” he asked, suddenly morbidly curious and she sent him a faint smile, telling him she just had waited for that question.

“I’d have suggested to jump with you.”

House stared at her for a while and then decided that that would have effectively stopped him from jumping. Surprising himself he placed a soft kiss on her warm forehead.

“I’m sorry I can’t be what you need.”

“Well… how did that philosopher Jagger say… You can’t always get what you want.” She smiled weakly at him. House shook his head amused.

“So, about the guy in that bar… that wasn’t Wilson, was it?”

“No, of course not. How can you even think…”

“He sneaked out of your room just before I arrived.”

“Well… not only you like me, Dr. House. I’ve had visits from Chase, Wilson, some nurses and that surgeon from the second floor…”

He laughed lightly at that, lifting himself from the chair and started to leave the room. At the door he turned around to her.

“Just make sure you’re careful with those guys at those bars… I’ve already potty-trained you and Chase, it’ll be hell to work in two new guys.”

Now she was confused, frowning at him with half closed eyes.

“Two…?”

“Yeah. I fired Foreman. You know how he was the last few weaks. That harassment stuff just was the last bit.”

She was still frowning at him.

“You hate job interviews.”

“That’s why you and Chase will narrow the bunch of highly professional doctors that will be punching each other for a fellowship with me down to three. I’ll take one of them then.”

“So… we’re doing the work…”

“Nah. I’m delegating”, he grinned.

“When you’re cleared for work again you’ll start. Until then Chase has to live with me alone.”

Cameron couldn’t help but feel pity for her colleague.

His hand was already on the handle of the door when she spoke up again.

“Tell Hannah I said Hi?”

“I can send her over, so she can tell you how she saved my crippled ass by telling Cuddy and Foreman I wouldn’t harass anyone because of my Vicodin-addiction”, he grinned.

“By what I have heard from Hannah until now that has to be something else than a decreased sex drive”, it grinned in the bed behind him and he left the room, still shaking his head about himself.

When had he started to care?


	29. Domestic.

Robert Chase was on a crossword again, his pager laying on the glass table in the conference room next to his feet when House marched in, a determined look on his face.

“Oh, last of my ducklings, follow me into the lion’s den and face your new mission!”

Chase just frowned at him.

“What?”

“I said, move your ass into my office, I’ve got work for you!”

House turned around, hearing his last minion murmur behind him.

“I got that with the den. It’s the last-statement I didn’t get…”

The moment the Aussie was seated in front of his desk Chase had grabbed the gray-red big tennis ball, playing with it while House got comfortable in his own chair.

“I fired Foreman”, the diagnostician stated then.

“You hate job interviews…”, Chase piped up, making House sigh.

“I know that myself, thank you. That’s why you and Cameron will be doing them… narrow them down to three, I’ll look at them then.”

By now the intensive care specialist was confused.

“We can decide who we work with?”

“I think that is what I just said…”

The younger man looked slightly thoughful and House got impatient when he didn’t jump right into action, letting the world know that the great Gregory House was looking for another victim.

“That was your cue to go, make sure many qualified doctors stampede into here…”

“Do you want another neurologist?”

Now it was House’s turn to frown.

“No, I want a dermatologist… we get to see many rashes here.”

The younger man didn’t even flinch at that, just staring at him.

“I just wanted to know if you want your own, brandnew neurologist, or if Dr. McLachlan is going to help out again if we need one.”

And yes, it really sounded as if he was getting him a present. Yet, House didn’t have any idea. The delegating thing was great, and he really didn’t wanna have anything to do with listening to 5000 people telling him what a genius he was.

“Just pick out what you think would fit.”

Chase just nodded, setting the ball down on House’s desk again, standing up to leave the office when House spoke again.

“You’ll be doing my mail until Cameron’s cleared for duty again.”

“You’ll have to get a bigger trash can then. I don’t hesitate to throw this stuff away”, the Aussie snarled with his broad accent and House grinned.

“Well… Cameron has this system: Stuff, she consideres waste, stuff, I consider waste, and stuff we both consider waste. Try to work yourself into it.”

When Chase had left his office he still thought about his last sentence. With all this waste why did he still have to sign that many letters?

 

***

 

The first thing the two men missed was the coffee Cameron made.

Chase’s attempt to make himself useful ended with both guys spitting the dark brown liquid back into the cup.

“I’ve played in puddles that tasted better”, the Aussie complained with House arching an eyebrow.

“That stuff was even worse than the one from the automate…”, the surgeon whined on.

“Oh, stop being such a baby. Rather visit Cameron and make her tell you how she makes the coffee.”

The Aussie thought about protesting but then decided that House was much more tolerable when he got what he wanted. And he’d rather visit his female colleague instead of being forced to do his boss’ clinic hours.

Lisa Cuddy walked past him into the conference room when he left for his mission, not thinking anything bad about that.

 

***

 

House on the other hand immediately clenched when he saw his boss and the soft expression on her face. So this wasn’t about him skipping his hours again a few days ago… actually he had let a kid play with his gameboy when he took a little nap, but…

She made a silent “Hi”, into his direction and he just wanted to run away.

“What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to talk to you. About your problem.”

He frowned at her.

“I don’t have a problem. No, wait, can you make a decent coffee? Then I don’t have problems.”

She fought the urge to roll her eyes and lost.

“About this morning. Don’t your realize that your addiction has really become…”

“A problem? Not to me, no.”

Her blue eyes focused on him.

“You were ashamed this morning when Dr. McLachlan mentioned your… uhm… potency problems.”

“I don’t have any potency problems.”

“But…”

“Decreased sex drive doesn’t say anything about if little Greg is working properly. It just says I don’t want him to work”, he snarled, seeing her turn different shades of red when she thought about his companion and frowning at himself because of implying that…

“House. What has to happen that you finally realize that these pills are not doing you any good? You’re already making up girlfriends to cover your discomfort.”

“I’m not making up anything. And the pills are doing me good: They take away the pain.”

“You could try some other pain management…”

His cane smacked against the white board to stop her.

“We had this conversation already. And you know what? I knew from day one that it was Wilson’s idea and not yours to con me into a week without. You know what else? The pain in my leg is way worse than any of the withdrawal symptoms were. All of you are always talking about me, the stubborn addict, but none of you has to live with what I have to live with! I’m sick of it, really!” he growled, Cuddy looking at him wide eyed.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“And now you come in here, humiliating me even more by wanting to talk about my _little_ problem. Go, talk to Cameron and let her confirm that I’m not harassing her, and make sure I get intelligent candidates to replace Foreman! Jeez, one would think you had some interest in my sperm the way you act!”

Still being angry he didn’t notice how her face slightly fell, and he even forgot that he in reality didn’t have those problems.

Storming out of his own conference room he marched towards the elevator and angrily thumped his fingers on the button. When the doors didn’t open immediately the turned on his good heel, marching towards the office of James Wilson.

 

***

 

His door flew open and the oncologist quickly racked his brain if he again had done something to piss off Greg House.

His friend just smashed the door closed behind him, anger written all over his face and Wilson sighed.

“What did Foreman do this time?”

“I fired him.”

“You hate job interviews”, Wilson stated and House rolled his eyes.

“Cuddy just came to see me.”

“Because she doesn’t want you to fire him?”

House growled at that.

“She wanted to talk about my potency problems!”

The oncologist widened his eyes.

“Your what?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought when Hannah came in this morning, telling Cuddy and Foreman that I wasn’t harassing Cameron because of my Vicodin-addiciton.”

Now Wilson was confused while House fell into the ‘Bad news’ chair.

“Okay, since when are you harassing Cameron? And why would Hannah say something like that?”

“I’m harassing her since Foreman told Cuddy so. And Hannah saved my ass in there, respecting that I didn’t want anyone to know we are together.”

“By telling them you were impotent?”

House growled again.

“God, this word sounds even worse, Jimmy…”

Wilson just looked at him for some seconds.

“Well, are you…?”

“Hell no!” House exclaimed, defending his virility with Wilson still looking at him thoughtfully.

“Sorry… It’s just… well, you know the amounts you’re taking…”

“I’m down on three to four pills a day.”

Now Wilson looked really shocked.

“You’re down on 30 mg? ( _I looked it up at wikipedia. From how they look House’s pills are 7.5 mg)_ How did you do that?!”

House rolled his eyes on him.

“By only taking them when it hurts? I’ve always been doing that, you know?”

Wilson’s eyes rested on him for a while.

“Okay, I’ve done it most of the time”, House admitted with a slight grin. Sometimes, being high was just what he needed.

“She’s good for you.”

“Two days ago you didn’t think that”, was House’s silent answer. Wilson sighed.

“She hurt you, okay? You are my friend, and I DO care. And I will apologize to Hannah.”

“Yeah. You’re buying us dinner tonight.”

“I’m doing what?”

“You’re taking us to a restaurant. And I intend to eat something really expensive ‘cause I still can see the imprints of your fingers on her arm.”

The oncologist looked really miserable when he heard that, then focused on his friend again.

“You’ll be seen with her. I thought you wanted to keep it a secret.”

“Yeah, and my girlfriend had to tell my boss I was shooting blanks to save my ass instead of telling them I was taken.”

House looked confused at his friend when Wilsons eyes widened with shock again.

“What? Shooting blanks means I’m at least shooting. Impotent doesn’t”, House mocked, then frowned at himself in unison with Wilson.

“Did you hear what you just said?” the oncologist asked then, watching him closely.

“Yeah, I know, this were just implied potency problems, I know…”

“Actually, I meant the girlfriend-part of your sentence before that…”

 

***

 

“I think I have GvHD”, the elderly woman in exam room 2 told him and his eyebrow climbed to heights he didn’t know it could reach.

“I don’t think so”, he replied, this time really looking into her file.

“You haven’t even looked at me, how could you possibly know that?” she snapped and House frowned.

“Well… for GvHD, which you probably have read in some newspaper and thought it sounded cool, they actually have to cut you open first.”

“Maybe with me it works without cutting me open!” she insisted, making him roll his eyes.

“So Scotty finally managed to invent this beaming-stuff…”

“What? Are you mocking me? I’m seriously ill!”

“You are either hypochondriac or really dumb or both. GvHD means Graft versus Host Disease, which means that T-cells from a graft, like a kidney or something like that attack tissue of the host. Since you didn’t have anything transplanted you can’t have GvHD”, he explained rather unfriendly while the woman stared at him wide eyed.

“I’m going to…”

“What? Tell my boss? She’ll tell you the same. Stop wasting my time and tell me what you want.”

The woman stuttered something and he couldn’t stop himself from moaning and rolling his eyes again.

“You come here, make up an illness and then you don’t even know what drugs you want?”

He got up from his place, opening the door and looked at the woman.

“Get out of here. Come back when you know how to use the internet.”

Then he walked out to the reception, getting another chart.

He looked up when the nurse who had witnessed Cuddy yelling at him to come into her office the day before spoke up.

“Is everything okay, Dr. House?”

“Make sure Miss Wonder-GvHD without G gets out of here, and remember her face. If she comes again, get one of these nice straight jacketts…”

“No… What I meant is, shouldn’t you be walking with your cane?”

He looked at her a bit confused, then realized that indeed his right hand was empty. His gaze wandered to exam room 2 where his former patient just came out, murmuring something to herself. Where his cane sat against the wall.

“I… I must have…”

On instinct he immediately put most of his weight on his left leg, not sure how exactly he came out here. He could walk without the cane, he just had to make sure not to try to walk properly by actually bending the leg at the knee, flexing his impaired muscle. Normally that hurt.

His gaze wandered from his leg back to the exam room, then to the nurse.

“Could you…?”

Now she looked at him confused, her eyes widening slightly when she got what he meant.

“Of course.”

She hurried into the room, coming back with the cane, handing it to him without any further remark. House sat down the chart in his left hand, once more too preoccupied with himself to actually think that the people in the clinic where here to be looked at by a doctor.

 

***

 

This time he managed to surprise her when he went into her office, finding her look at him guiltily when he stopped in front of her desk.

“You still have three days of sick leave. What are you doing here?” he demanded to know, leaning on his cane just because it had become a habit.

“Think about conning Cuddy into getting me a secretary. I have mail here that’s five weeks old!” she complained, sorting through a pack quickly and then throwing it into the trash.

“Yeah, I’m sure a secretary does that ten times more effectively. And that action also could have waited till Monday.”

“Well, then I wouldn’t be here to listen to your indestructible logic.”

She watched him for some seconds, his mind obviously running.

“Everything okay?” she frowned at him.

“I forgot my cane again.”

And he just didn’t forget it.

“And you want me to…?”

“If I knew that. I’m just confused…”

Hannah got up from her chair, walking around her desk and stopped in front of him.

“How about you were glad…? Forgetting you cane means your subconsciousness thinks you don’t need it at that time…”

House sighed, still leaning thoughtfully on his cane.

“Unfortunately my consciouness knows that I can’t trust my leg… and my subconsciousness can think?” he mocked and got a little smile.

“Is that all why you are here?” she then asked, making him frown.

“What? I can’t come over just for fun?”

“If it was just for fun, I’d be already on my back, my skirt somewhere up around my waist.”

House shook his head amused.

“Nah. I thought about taking you from behind on your desk. Punish you for making me deal with Cuddy and her condolences for my potency.”

She cocked her head to one side, her face still earnest.

“You only thought about it?”

“Well, Wilson is taking us out for dinner this evening, so I thought I’d suggest to call it a day and get ready. I’ll punish you at home afterwards”, he grinned, before he turned around again.

“And you better wear something hot, I’m boasting with you today…”, he hollered over his shoulder, leaving her staring at his back as he disappeared around the corner.

 

***

 

“What the hell took you so long?”

He was busy tying his tie when he opened his front door, turning around almost immediately to get back to the mirror in his living room.

“Well, since you want to boast with me I had to get a dress instead of all the business costumes and jeans I have here”, she replied, walking past him into the bedroom to actually change while he was still engrossed in his fight with the tie, growling at it when it just didn’t do what he wanted it to.

“Hey, don’t you learn to tie things in the army? I could need some help!” he hollered into his bedroom, his eyes widening slightly when she came out only in her underwear, one hand hidden behind her back.

“Nah, wrong section. Sailors learn to tie. I learned how to built a bomb out of the things in my purse.”

“Well, that doesn’t help me right now. What do you have behind your back?”

She smiled mysterically before she showed him what she was holding.

“I bought your lonely red tie a friend”, she told him, showing him a dark red silk tie and he frowned at her.

“You took that long because you wanted me to look good?”

“If you’re allowed to show off, then I’m, too. And it took me that long because I actually had to find a dress with arms that didn’t look like something my Grandma would wear.”

His eyes automatically wandered to the marks on her upper arm, growling.

“I should have killed him for that!”

“How chauvinistic of you.” She took his old tie out of his hands, slinging the new one around his neck and started on the knot.

“Well, I’m old school. Guy who’s touching my girlfriend gets beaten. Guy who hurts her doesn’t survive the next day.”

She didn’t say a thing, maybe too concentrated on slinging the ends of the tie in the right way. When she was done she turned him around to the mirror again.

“So, now you’re pretty. I’ll have to fight off the chicks hitting on you.”

He looked at himself, nestling at the perfect knot. It really didn’t look bad.

“Doesn’t change anything on the fact that I hate ties.”

She didn’t look offended when he turned around, realizing that he maybe had said something wrong.

“Please. I don’t like skirts and wear them nevertheless. You can help me pull up the zipper in a few minutes if you want.”

He followed her into the bedroom, watched her stepping into a dark rosé dress with a skirt that stopped mid calves. Pushing her hair over her shoulder, his fingers traveled down her spine, curling around the tiny zipper, gently pulling it up. Then he realized that the dress had only two straps that were holding it on her shoulders.

“Didn’t you find something with arms?”

She just turned to the bed, producing a matching bolero jacket.

“That’s why they make these incredibly useful things.”

Dropping it on the bed again she saw him frown.

“What?”

“Well, won’t you put it on?”

“I still have to do my hair and put on some make up.”

“And one can’t do that with this tiny jacket thingy?”

She laughed silently.

“No, one can’t. Go, find your jacket, I’ll be ready soon”, she replied, disappearing in his bathroom and he laughed.

When had they started to sound so domestic?

 


	30. Smile... It confuses people.

Wilson had picked out a beautiful restaurant that did serve the lobster House wanted to have. He had apologized to Hannah the moment she walked in on the two men watching monster trucks on TV.

House had managed not to wrinkle his shirt until then, and Wilson had complimented her more than once until the diagnostician growled at him to take his eyes off his girlfriend.

Seconds later he frowned at Hannah who had blushed.

Wilson just shook his head at his friend, being so possessive and yet not objectifying her.

“You want lobster, too? I’ll buy you the biggest one they have…”, he asked the neurologist, who just smiled at him.

“I got it that you’re sorry. And I think I’ll take the steak, I’m not really into fish.”

“You know, lobster’s not really fish”, House piped up, his hand resting on her thigh since the moment he had taken his place next to her. Yet it seemed that he did that unconsciously and not on purpose.

“Okay, then I’m not into… uh… Decapodae.”

Both men laughed loudly at that.

“No showing off with biological knowledge”, Wilson insisted.

“Uh, baby, then tell him how to built a bomb out of the things in your purse!” House mocked and it was Hannah’s turn to shake her head amused.

Wilson was a little confused now but waved at a waitress to take their orders while Hannah pointed out that the things in her purse just would be put together to a bomb if the food wasn’t good. The oncologist saw his friend laugh again and decided he had to talk to him a little when they had ordered and Hannah had disappeared into the lady’s room to freshen up a bit.

“I don’t know what she wants to freshen up. She’s as hot as she was when we left”, House announced.

“You seem to enjoy yourself”, Wilson stated.

“Why shouldn’t I? You’re buying and I’m getting lucky afterwards if I don’t die of food poisoning.”

“And you’re calling her your girlfriend all the time. The new tie…?”

“You like it? Hannah bought it.”

Wilson tried not to make a face at the diagnostician.

“That’s what I assumed. You have the same old tie since you were in college.”

“Hey! I… wait.” House made the face he always made when he was calculating.

“Jeez, you’re right… So it was totally time for a new one. Thank God my woman has good taste.”

“You’re doing it again!”

“Doing what again?”

“Referring to her as ‘your woman’. It took you one year to admit that Stacy was your girlfriend.”

House looked at his friend thoughtfully.

“Well. I’m getting older, don’t have that much time anymore.”

“Yeah, that’s it, you just don’t have the time to dawdle. Admit it, you’re totally into this. You want this.”

House watched him for a moment.

“What if I do?”

“I knew you were a human being!” Wilson exclaimed and this time not only House looked at him really confused.

 

***

 

“Okay… I thought Greg would eat me into poverty, but I see I was wrong there”, Wilson stated when Hannah ordered her second slice of cake while he and House were just wishing they were at home, so they could open the buttons of their pants.

“I just elongate the time before my punishment”, she grinned back and House groaned.

“Please, I can’t move anymore… I’ll just be falling into our bed and hope it won’t break down under my weight.”

“Punishment?” Wilson asked at the same time and House stared at him.

“Oh… okay, I won’t mention that again. But I wish I could have seen Cuddy’s face when you proclaimed he wasn’t working properly”, the oncologist grinned at the neurologist who just started to dig into the blackforrest cherry cake.

“I didn’t proclaim anything. They all just assumed. And I offered to tell Cuddy about last night!”

“Okay… I also wish I could see her face when you do that”, Wilson stated.

“Me too!” House piped up, grabbing his fork and stealing a bit of her cake.

“My cake!”

“No, Wilson’s cake. He’s buying.”

“Please tell me you don’t want to have some, too!” she exclaimed, facing the oncologist who couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ll explode if I eat anything before next Tuesday…”

She pulled the dish out of House’s reach.

“Mine.”

“You’re mean”, the diagnostician pouted, stretching over the table to reach the cake.

“I see you still don’t respect the property of other people, Greg”, a female voice behind them said, shocking Wilson motionless.

 

***

 

The oncologist though that God really had a bad timing. Almost as bad as Cuddy.

The neurologist only looked from the oncologist who in seconds had clenched to the dark haired woman behind him. She was watching House and not Wilson, so why did he clench?

House looked up and thought he would explode into fivethousand tiny pieces. Since that would have been a great mess and he liked the dress Hannah was wearing he decided against that option. Instead he managed to get another piece of the cake, smiling triumphantly at the neurologist.

“I think in a relationship it is common habit to share property”, he declared, shoving the cake into his mouth and smiling at the woman behind his best friend.

“Hi, Stacy. Your hubby back to his feet yet?”

He tried again to stretch over the table, but this time Hannah took the fork out of his hand.

“Hey!” he pouted again, ignoring the confused stare of his ex as well as the looks Wilson was sending him.

“I’ll share everything else with you. But not blackforrest cherry cake”, the neurologist stated with a firm look on her face.

“But I don’t fit into your high heels… I don’t want to share them, I want cake…”, he mocked, making her shake her head.

“When did I offer to share my high heels?” Hannah asked while Wilson started to snicker.

“Well… according to the state of New Jersey half of everything you own belongs to me as well…”, House started, now three confused eye pairs resting on him.

“I think you have to be married for that, House”, Wilson piped up.

“Oh, shoot. No cake for me? Stace, can’t you do anything about that?”

The dark haired woman looked at him really confused when he turned to her, looked at her with this mocking, relaxed glance in his eyes. She hadn’t seen that since… since their affair, before she had decided to go back to her husband. Before he had decided for her to go back to her husband.

“What could I do about that?”

“Well, you’re the lawyer, change the law?”

Stacy Warner had to laugh at his logic.

“You want me to change the law so you can have cherry cake? Why don’t you just order one for yourself?”

House looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

“Because I want hers? Make my girlfriend share her cake with me”, he said matter of factly and saw how her face fell.

“Actually I just came over to say hi and not to change paragraphs. I’d be wishing I could do that soon enough if the offer from Princeton General hadn’t been better than the one of Cuddy.”

This time Wilson was the one to turn around surprised.

“You are coming back? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Yeah! And where’s Mark? I want to show off my girl and…”

“It’s enough, Greg!” Hannah cut him off in a tone accustomed to giving orders, seeing the face of the other woman change to a sad expression.

Surprising everybody Gregory House shut his mouth.

“Is everything okay with Mark?” Wilson wanted to know and Stacy nodded.

“He’s doing great. We didn’t. I think he couldn’t forgive me that night with you”, she said looking at House, who immediately started to watch Hannah out of the corner of his eye.

She was taking another bite of her cake, and then lifted her gaze to the lawyer again, not saying anything.

Just watching her.

Then, as if deciding that the other woman was no match for her she took another bite, not letting Stacy out of her eyes.

“Do you want to sit down? Catch up on old times a bit?” The neurologist asked the other woman, her tone absolutely friendly.

At least for a man it sounded friendly.

Stacy took a step back, everything else than oblivious to the other woman’s tone, daring her to do what she had asked her and she would scratch her eyes out.

House and Wilson were looking at the redhead who smiled sweetly and were confused when the lawyer stepped back.

“No, thank you, but my colleagues are leaving soon, and we were car pooling…”, Stacy backed off, gesturing to a table in the back.

“Well, then we’ll see you sometime I assume”, the neurologist continued to smile when Stacy started to turn around.

“Make sure you work on this cake law!” House hollered after her when Hannah once more moved her cake out of his reach.

“If I still could sleep without you in the bed, you’d be sleeping on the couch right now!” the diagnostician growled loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

 

***

 

She had been awfully quiet on their way home, brooding over something, even though it hadn’t really disturbed the good mood they’d been in.

After saying goodbye to James, she disappeared into the kitchen, putting the cake she’d taken home into the fridge before shrugging out of her coat and kicking off her high heels.

House fought the urge to fall onto his couch, actually opening this button of his pants and watched her how she took the bolero off.

“You want to shower first?” she asked and something told him he better should run before the personal questions came.

“I lived with her until the thing with my leg happened”, he said instead. She cocked her head.

“That’s what I assumed.”

“She’s married, you know?”

“She isn’t any longer… you missed this ‘couldn’t forgive me the night with you’ stuff?”

He watched her. So that was what’s wrong.

“I wasn’t in a relationship back then. I don’t cheat”, he tried to reassure her. She just frowned at him, turning around to the bathroom.

“I’ll shower now.”

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him, locking his eyes with hers.

“I don’t cheat”, he repeated, feeling her trying to get out of his grip.

“You cheated on her husband with her.”

“She cheated on her husband. I my opinion she still belonged to me back then.”

Softening his grip his one hand moved up to cover her cheek.

“Wouldn’t cheat on you.”

Hannah sighed.

“And if she decides she wants you back?” she asked silently, feeling his lips on hers.

“Don’t want her back… found something better”, he said between kisses, not stopping until she kissed him back.

“And you’re the big, bad Marine, I think you could fight her off!” he grinned then.

The neurologist sighed again.

“You know… I knew with this new tie I’d have to fight off the chicks hitting on you…”

The diagnostician smiled at that, getting a confused frown back.

“It should have been the other way round!” she exclaimed then, making him laugh.

“Please, I’m the big bad man with a cane. Nobody had the balls to approach you when they could see my hand on your thigh.”

“So you did this on purpose…”

He smiled again.

“Actually, no. But seeing them glance at me like they would shoot me if it wasn’t a public place told me I was doing something right.”

“Please… I had to disappear in the ladies room because you were circling your thumb all the time. The cake at least got your hands onto the table.”

Now it was him who had to look at her really confused.

“You did _that_ on purpose? I was just plain cruel towards Stacy when I had to whine my girlfriend was starving me.”

“More cruel than me actually jumping you?”

He swallowed hard once, watching her earnest face.

“Jimmy would have liked that. He isn’t getting any, you know.”

Hannah just shook her head, stepping slightly out of his embrace.

“I had a great time this evening. James is quite entertaining.”

“Yeah, by telling you every embarrassing story about me he knows…”

“Well, I consider it funny when the great Greg House decorates the office of his dean at John Hopkins with the bras of the freshmen he was assigned to tutor…”

“Hey, all of them were incredibly satisfied before they gave them to me. It took me weeks to get this many…”, he answered with a cocky grin.

“So… wanna win my bra too, Dr. House?” Hannah asked, taking a step back, dragging him along with her. Yet she wasn’t leading him to the bathroom.

“Where are we going?”

She smiled slightly, stroking her thumb over the back of his hand.

“Your study. The desk in there is as good as the one in my office.”

His mouth went dry at what she suggested and he found his voice only when they were already positioned in front of the wooden desk inside the room where he actually DID some research at home. Hey, he was the most curious person on earth – he could sit in there for hours, just reading something.

Hannah looked at him expectantly when he just stood there, watching her intently.

“You don’t have to do that.”

Her smile never faded.

“Maybe I want to. Tell me how you imagined it.”

House went to his desk, leaning on it, still watching her.

“Hannah… I mean it. You don’t have to do that if…”

She stopped him by walking up to him, pressing her body against his, caressing her hands over his thighs.

“Tell me how you imagined punishing me”, she repeated in a hoarse voice that made little Greg twitch with anticipation.

“I… you would start just like that. You would press yourself against me, telling me how sorry you were for questioning my manhood.”

“I’m so sorry for questioning your virility. Can you forgive me?” she immediately asked and slid her arms around his waist.

“What would you do then?” she asked, grazing her lips over his, making it really difficult for him to elaborate his fantasy.

“I would do nothing, just be my grumpy, gruff self, but that would not stop you from kissing me…”

She continued to kiss him, a tad surprised when he didn’t respond, didn’t even touch her. Her lips wandered down to his throat, making him shiver when she spoke against it.

“How do I continue…?”

“You open my shirt slowly, slide your tongue over my chest, but I’m still not responding…”

She kissed him once more on his lips, letting her tongue lick over his lower lip while her small fingers shoved his Jacket of his shoulders and he let it fall onto the desk, feeling her hands hover over the buttons of his shirt, undoing one after the other. He moaned when her hot tongue made contact with his chest and at the same time one of her hands started to caress the growing package in his trousers.

“Am I doing this right?” she asked and he could feel the corners of her mouth curl agains his chest when her fingers had found the zipper of his pants and pulled it down, sneaking inside to touch him. His hands gripped on the edge of his desk, suddenly glad that he was leaning against it when he continued with his imaginations.

“You get frustrated cause I’m still icy and open my trousers completely…”

He thought she would pull out the hand that was stroking him and prepared himself for the loss of skin contact but was surprised when her other hand that still had been on his waist sneaked down, professionally ripping the button off his pants while her tongue played with one of his nipples. He wished she would kiss him again and then almost shook his head about himself.

“You kiss me once more, harshly, before…”

She lifted her head, crushing her lips onto his, this time her tongue forcing free its way into his mouth and he couldn’t help but kiss her back.

“Before…?” she whispered, not breaking contact.

“Before you fall to your knees like back then when we fought about spiderbite lady…”

“You liked that, didn’t you…” she stated, but didn’t drop to her knees immediately, but rather sucked his lower lip into her mouth, slightly biting it, causing him to moan. Then her tongue made its way down his throat and chest, lazily circling his navel while her hands shoved down the pants of his suit, again caressing his erection through his boxers.

“What do I do when I’m on my knees?” she asked innocently, looking up at him, his eyes focused on her hands that were stroking him.

“You…” his voice caught when she squeezed him slightly and he had to clear his throat.

“You pull my boxers down and kiss my tip like you always do first…”, he replied huskily, seeing her lick her lips when she actually yanked at the boxers, freeing his penis out of its prison.

She totally surprised him by not following his orders this time, swallowing him on first stroke, making his head roll back when he let out a loud groan.

She released him with a smile, placing a kiss on his tip, looking up at him again with her tongue circling around it.

“What comes next…?”

“You occupy yourself with little Greg while I think really hard about forgiving you” House panted, his fingers sliding into her soft hair, messing it up, stroking it when she lowered her lips once again on him.

When after a couple of minutes she started to shift her position in front of him he stopped her, making her get up again.

“Now you tell me how horny you are, how desperately you need me inside of you”, he whispered hoarsly into her ear, kissing her firmly, his hands shoving up the skirt.

“I want you to fuck me… I need you inside me”, she replied as hoarsly and he could feel her tremble slightly in his arms, causing a cocky grin to appear on his face. He turned them so she was the one leaning against the desk, kissing her again, his hands closing around her waist.

“You want to go on with my fantasy?” he asked, this time sounding more sober, making sure she really wanted. When he saw her nod, he turned her around, pressing his arousal against her butt, placing a large hand between her shoulder blades. She obediently bowed down, sticking her ass out to him and he groaned when he felt the damp fabric of her panties touch his penis. His hands wandered again to her hips, pushing the slip down to her knees, running a finger over her slick folds.

“Jeez… you’re dripping wet…!”

He just got an aroused moan as answer, her hands reaching for the other end of the desk when he teased her with the tip of his dick, his hands caressing her butt.

She let out a surprised scream when he thrust into her forcefully, gritting his teeth against the feeling and trying to think about his paperwork or he would have come right there.

“You alright?” he asked when he heard her whimper.

“Fuck… me…”, she panted and his hips moved again, this time on autopilot, making her call him “God…!” again and he had to snicker. Then he placed a kiss between her shoulders, opening the zipper of her dress just so far he could pull it down over her breasts, his fingers easily opening the hooks of her bra. When his hands found their two best friends she made one of these sounds back in her throat that he liked so much.

And all of a sudden he didn’t like this game anymore.

He wanted to see her face when she came, he wanted to be able to kiss her lips…

He had her protesting loudly when he withdrew and couldn’t help but grin when he turned her around, kissing her lightly.

Before she could say anything his lips closed on hers while his hands sneaked around her to open the zipper all the way, undressing her completely this time.

“Now you undress me”, he said silently, getting out of his shoes, pulling off his socks. When she had his shirt off his upper body he stepped out of his trousers and boxers before pulling her towards him again.

She breathlessly looked into his dark blue eyes.

“And now..?” she asked, trembling with anticipation, as he took her hand and led her a few steps away from the desk. He sat her down on a soft mohair carpet, lowering himself next to her and then rolled her onto her back.

“And now…” he repeated, kissing her, touching her, taking his place between her legs.

“Now I’m going to make love to you.”


	31. There goes the next contestant...

She stirred slightly in his arms when a loud knock could be heard on his front door. House didn’t even bother to open his eyes. He knew it was almost noon, and he intended to spend some more hours in his bed.

Another knock made her lift her head from his shoulder.

“You xpecting nyone…?” she murmured and he grunted something that sounded like “No… don’t care… sleep…”

At the third knock she untangled herself from his arms, reaching for a T-shirt on the floor and groggily wandered into his living room.

When she reappeared only one minute later, and there was still knocking he frowned in his sleepiness.

“You not going to open the door?”

Hannah climbed into the bed again.

“Cuddy is standing out there…”

He chuckled silently.

“Well, well… my problem seems to bug her…”

Yet he didn’t move to get out of his bed but rather tugged on the shirt she wore by now.

“Maybe you should open the door, or she’ll just break in”, Hannah suggested catching his hands.

“Nah… If you’re allowed to hide, then I’m too…”, he replied, his lips aiming for her mouth when Cuddy hollered “House, I know you are home!”

“Yeah, but I redecorated a bit… maybe you want to shock her...”

Another really loud knock made him yell “Jeez, don’t wet your pants, I’m coming…”

Hannah watched him pull up his sweat pants before he disappeared. Then her eyes wandered to the nightstand, where the bottle with Vicodin stood, untouched. A smile appeared on her face. Next to the nightstand, on the wall leaned his cane.

 

***

 

Lisa Cuddy lifted her hand again to knock on his door, when it was ripped open, a bare-chested Greg House staring at her with sleep clouded eyes and bed hair that made him look like a mad scientist.

“WHAT?!”

The dean of PPTH almost jumped at his loud voice, but years of practice with the gruff diagnostician had taught her how to calm herself.

“I… thought we should talk.”

He caught her looking at his chest and grunted.

“You’re not talking, you’re ogling… I had a busy night and don’t even know what you want to talk about…”

“You know what I…” Her voice caught and he found her staring at something on the floor just next to him. A pair of high heels with one of his shoes.

He followed her gaze, only now understanding what Hannah had meant by redecorating when he saw her bolero on the floor in a heap with his jacket, followed by his other shoe and a pair of socks. The trail continued with his shirt next to a sideboard, where some books had ‘fallen’ to the ground and her dress lay also in a heap.

He almost laughed when he saw her bra hanging on a lamp that somehow looked like anyone bumped into it, her panties just at the corner… he wondered where she had draped his boxers and scanned his home, finding them on the couch as if he had thrown them through the room.

He forced himself to look serious when he turned his head back to Cuddy, saying “I know what you…? The whole sentence, please?”

This time she stared him in the eye.

“You lied.”

“About what?”

“About your problem! You said into my face you couldn’t harass Cameron if you wanted to and I believed you!” she screeched and realized one second later that that had been wrong when his face darkened.

“No. You assumed I had a problem. Hannah just said ‘Think about the side effects of Vicodin’, and when Foreman asked what could prevent me from molesting anyone you just jumped to the delicate option. You know, there’s also weakness, fatigue, sweating… aw, you’re a doctor too, you’ll figure it out!” he snapped, seeing her squirm under his gaze.

“But instead of thinking or talking to Allison, you think you have to fix me. You know, I’m not broken, ask the girl in my bedroom if you want to.”

“So by finding yourself a hooker everything is back to normal”, she snapped back.

“By finding myself a hoo…”, he repeated unbelieving, before he turned around.

“Darling, you can come out now!” he hollered so loud that Cuddy wished she had the loss of hearing side effect of Vicodin.

She could hear some shuffling and a somehow familiar voice say “Didn’t you want to stay the rest of the day in bed?”, before a woman in a The Who shirt wandered out of his bedroom.

She stopped mid step, staring at the dean of PPTH, who was staring at her as well.

“Dr. McLachlan…?”

Hannah’s black gaze wandered to the diagnostician who looked still angry.

“I see you decided to fill her in.”

“I wanted to show her who she was calling a hooker!” House growled, stepping towards Hannah.

The neurologist frowned at him.

“A hoo…?”

“I didn’t know it was you… I… since when… where… HOW…?” Cuddy stammered when he slipped his arm around Hannah’s waist.

“Oh, Lisa, I think we have to have this talk… you know, when a man and a woman really love each other…” House mocked and was surprised by Hannah giggling next to him, while Cuddy just sighed “House…”

Straightening her back the dean looked at both of her doctors.

“So… how long are you together? Can’t be that long, he can’t keep his mouth shut.”

Hannah just looked at him and smiled.

“Day before I started working.” Well… you couldn’t say they’d been together since then. When it changed from mind blowing sex and good company to being together she couldn’t really pinpoint.

Cuddy stared at her unbelieving.

“Day before…”, she repeated, calculating the time, going over the events…

“That explains why you where so un-you when she was shot… and why she would even turn to you after running out of the hospital…”, Cuddy said, more to herself than to the couple. Then she focused on the neurologist.

“You could have told me that. This mess with Dr. Foreman didn’t have to happen.”

“We didn’t want anyone to know…”

“Yeah, I wanted her to move in officially first, before boasting around in the hospital I was doing the new chick… most of her stuff is still in the hotel, too easy for her to run…”, House piped up with both women shaking their heads.

“Yeah, the hotel I’ve only been in to get some clothes since the second week I know you”, Hannah complained with a smile and he made a face.

“Well, then get your stuff over here. The whole hospital will know on Monday, ‘cause Miss Cuddy here can’t keep her mouth shut, too, when it’s concerning the great Greg House.”

At that Hannah just stared at him, then at Cuddy who growled at House before turning on her heels.

“Don’t worry, she won’t tell anybody”, House assured the woman in his arms who now frowned at him.

“Were you serious?”

“I think the correct term is ‘Are’ you serious… yeah, she won’t invade our privacy…”

“No, I meant the moving in stuff.”

He let her go, marching towards the door and closing it.

“Wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t.”

“Yes, you would, just to be cruel to Cuddy…”

“Well, I have to get used to the fact that everybody’s hitting on me. First, five years nothing and all of a sudden I have four girls wanting me…”

“Greg, I’m serious.”

“Well, I was too. Move in with me.”

She watched him for some seconds, searching his face. Then she started to smile.

“Okay.”

“Good. Can we go back to bed now? And stop looking at my leg, I know I forgot my cane again.”

“I don’t want to go to bed. I’m excited now.”

He furrowed his forehead again.

“And yes, I know I sound like a four year old”, she stated, grinning at him.

“I just have never moved in with somebody until now…”

“You’re living with me since we know each other…”

She just looked at him, barely able to stand still and he sighed.

“What? You want to do this now?”

She nodded and he tried, but failed miserably to fight the grin that started to spread on his face.

 

***

 

“I thought you were a Marine.”

“I was. Why?”

“No way a Marine has so many pink shirts!” House exclaimed when he shoved said shirts into a box with his messy handwriting on it that said ‘Clothes’.

“You know, there was this guy named Bubba, I think I met him in combat training… he was _so_ into turquoise. And I couldn’t get Hotdog away from my nailpolish…”

House turned around only to see her disappear under the bed.

“What the hell are you doing down there? And what name is Hotdog?”

“I’m looking for a pair of my shoes… and Hotdog is the sign of a friend of mine. Jet jockey with the most beautiful voice I ever heard. Sadly she only sings when you fill her with two bottles of vodka. And now try to imangine a group of tipsy Marines… male and female…”

House just shook his head, stuffing another heap of pink into the box.

“Hotdog?”

“Uh, I haven’t told you she won every eat-as-much-as-you-can-contest?”

“That’s how she got that name? And I thought these names had a deeper meaning…”, he replied, trying to rack his brain, if his father had ever told him anything about that… he didn’t even know if his Dad had a sign like that. Maybe it had been ‘moral compass’ or ‘I never lie’, who knew…

“It has a deeper meaning. We outate all five of our male comrades, and then she managed to eat more than me. I really thought I would explode that day.”

Crawling out from under the bed she frowned at him.

“I think the maid stole them.”

“You had a sign, too? Hotdog 2nd, maybe?” he wanted to know, moving to the next wardrobe, being greeted by a heap of high heels.

“How many feet do you have, for heaven’s sake?”

“Still only the two I walk on. I was just Doc back then. And now you’ve got me wondering what deeper meaning the sign ‘Hammer’ has… I’m sure you don’t need a hammer in the cockpit of a tomcat.”

“You also know fighter pilots in the Navy?”

She watched him intently this time, how he put her shoes on top of her shirts, not keeping in mind that he had to close the box afterwards when he piled them up.

It didn’t really happen very often to her that someone could tell what fraction of the armed forces did use what machines.

“Uh… yes. My brother James is flying, down in Pensacola. And the husband of a sister of mine was a pilot.”

“Was as in…”

“He’s a lawyer now. Maybe I should call him. I want my Manolo’s back!”

House looked at her confused.

“How do you get from fighter pilot to lawyer? All my Dad could ever think about were his godamn planes or helicopters… I’m still not sure what he was flying in Nam.” He held up a pair of really uncomfortable looking shoes.

“These the ones you are looking for?”

“Nah, these are Prada”, she said as if he should know that.

“So, you’re a military brat?” she asked, once again diving under the bed. Maybe she just hadn’t seen them.

“What, you can’t see that from my excellent bedside manners?” he mocked, lifting another pair into her vision, oblivious to the fact that she couldn’t see it.

“Nah, but I should have known by seeing how accustomed you are to barking orders. So Daddy House was a Marine?” she asked muffled from under the bed.

“Ya hu, yes Ma’am! Don’t make me sing ‘From the halls of Montezuma’, Ma’am!”

“Why should I do that? You know I’m not really friends with this club anymore. And I always have to think of Montezuma’s vengenance when I hear that song”, she giggled under the bed, slowly crawling out again.

“For that I’m _so_ stealing a bathrobe and towels!”

House still wasn’t done chuckling at the Montezuma remark.

“If I had known about that when I was a kid… I can’t even imagine his face…!”

“Well, if I meet him one day we can sing “ _From the halls of Montezuma to the bathroom and never back_ …” just to annoy him. I know I can run faster”, she replied with a broad grin.

“ _We double over with belly cramps and ask what made us feel like crap_ ”, House sang on, smile still plastered on his face.

“Gimme a pencil, I need to write that down!”

“You have the marker, write it on one of the boxes.”

He watched her bow down under the bed again.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the sight of your ass, but I think they’re not down there. And you still have the size of a football field to search… living room, bathrooms… note the plural in there?”

She stood up, her hands on her hips, watching him actually scribbling down the lines they just had made up. When he looked up at her he had to laugh at her dustcovered figure.

“They should fire that maid. I bet she also isn’t cleaning behind the fridge…”

“I would have seen them in the living room, you can’t shove anything under the couch there. And I don’t kick off my shoes in the bathroom.”

“Those Manila’s you’re talking ‘bout…”

“Manolo’s.”

“Whatever. Black leather, 4 inch heels?”

“Uh, yeah…?”

“They’re at my home. Under the couch… and I might have thrown one of them against the wall when you were still in coma”, he admitted.

“You have expensive taste when it comes to throwing things onto your walls…” she only said, grabbing another box and helping him to put her shoes inside.

“It’s only a few things I have stored away that we have to fetch.”

“Any furniture?” He scribbled ‘Too many shoes’ on her box and laughed at himself.

“Uh… I think there’s a bed, but yours is more comfortable. I have a ton of books though. I thought about bookshelves and a desk briefly when I transferred… ah, I mean, when I moved here.”

“But then you rescued this incredibly hot guy and couldn’t think about anything else but him!”

“Hey, how do you know that, I met that guy 10 minutes before you!” she mocked back.

“So I was the hotter one. I knew chicks dig the cane. And don’t worry about books and a desk, in my study there’s still free space, and we can give away the medical books we have twice.”

He briefly frowned at the un-House sound of what he had just said, but then grabbed the box with the shoes under his left arm, leaving the bedroom while Hannah chuckled behind him.

“Yeah, baby, walk on that cane for me!”

 

***

 

“One should think a highly educated doctor like you would also have some tools at home…”

“Sorry, I’m no surgeon, so no saws or anything like that.”

“I don’t need a saw, I need a screwdriver.”

House just shook his head when he saw her sitting between the parts of a bookshelf on the floor of his study, using the tiny tool that had been inside the box.

“We could have bought one that was already built, you know.”

“And where’s the fun in that? I at least want to have the option to call one of my children ‘Billy’”, she grinned, standing up from her sitting position.

“I think this thing was called somehow else”, House frowned, helping her to lift the last part on top of what she just had built together. She batted two times on the board, until it was in place, then used the tool on the last four screws.

“Hah! Done! And I didn’t curse once!”

“Yeah, you only whined.”

“Hey, I was a Marine. We don’t whine, we complain.”

“If you say something like that five times it’s whining, Marine or not”, he grinned, seeing her make a face at him, sticking out her tongue.

“And that’s not very Marine either.”

“Nah, but it was an appropriate answer. Now help me to get this thing against the wall.”

 

***

 

 He woke from the shifting of his mattress, when her arms sneaked around him from behind.

“You could have built the desk tomorrow…”, he said sleepily when her forehead came to rest against his shoulderblade.

“Well… actually it is already tomorrow. I also put the books in there, sorted some of them out…”

He turned around in her arms, kissing her softly.

“Hey… leave something for the next days… the sense of moving in is to trip over boxes for at least two weeks…”

She chuckled at that, resting her head against his shoulder when he closed his arms around her.

“You have to be patient with me. First time, you know?”

And hopefully also the last, he added in his mind.

But that was really too un-House to say it aloud.


	32. Girl talk

A silent “Hi” made Allison Cameron look up from her book, squeezing her eyes behind her glasses. They still hurt, but she was actually so bored that she didn’t care.

Hannah McLachlan closed the door behind her slim form, shoving her hands in the pockets of her lab coat.

Cameron watched her for some seconds, then answered the “Hi.”

“How do you feel?”

“Depends on why you came here. The measles, the Foreman-thing or my thing for House.”

The slightly older neurologist started to smile.

“I see, we’re doing this fast as a band aid. Actually I came because of all three things”, she said, taking a seat next to the bed.

Cameron looked a bit confused at the friendly tone. She just had admitted that she still was in love with her boss, and Hannah smiled at her?

“So… how do you feel? Eyes still hurt?”

“A bit. I’m still running a fever, and I’m bored as hell. I hate being unproductive.”

“Well, it was a new strain, so you can at least be a little bit proud.”

Cameron looked surprised again, until she remembered who was sitting in front of her. The institute of genetics clearly would be involved in this.

They both fell silent for a while, sighing in unison about the uncomfortable silence between them.

“This is ridiculous”, Hannah stated, leaning her ellbows on Cameron’s bed.

“Has Cuddy already been here?”

“Yes. She was really angry about something, though… just growled when I said House would never harass me.”

A smile spread on Hannah’s face.

“I bet Greg was right with her wanting him to father her babies. I destroyed everything marching in there, practically telling them…”

“Oh, I heard that with the Vicodin addiction. I wish I could have seen his face… and Cuddy’s… and Foreman’s”, Cameron exclaimed.

“It was priceless. Greg looked like he would either run or jump me right there to prove I was wrong. Cuddy looked like, well, he would never be her Daddy, and Foreman didn’t get it. And if he finds out that the hospital knows about what I said…”

Uh oh.

Her face changed to a concerned expression.

“Please tell me Cuddy isn’t spreading that? She walked in on us on Saturday, she knows better!”

“No”, Cameron assured her silently.

“House visited me that afternoon. We had a conversation about my thing for him. And from your look I can tell he didn’t tell you I said Hi…”

“So… you talked already.”

Cameron nodded, leaning back onto her pillow.

“He loves you. But he did admit that he likes me”, she smiled. Turning her head towards the neurologist she sighed.

“I know I can’t have him. I knew from the day he came to apologize. And I still feel like I betray you with having these feelings for him. I consider you a friend and then I’m glad you get shot.”

“I’m glad it was me, too. Well, I didn’t need that coma-stuff… but if I had to decide again, I’d still jump in the line of fire. Nevertheless I hope that nothing like that happens ever again.”

“So… we’re both happy he wasn’t shot. I hope he’ll never find out… that’s such an ego boost”, Cameron giggled, slightly surprised to hear Hannah do the same.

“Please, can his ego get any bigger?”

“I don’t know how big it can get, his girlfriend survived the shooting, you know.”

Cameron’s smile faded when she had said that, almost immediately trying to apologize for what came out of her mouth, but the loud laughter the neurologist erupted into made her close her mouth again.

“Oh, and I thought I could cross you out on my ‘Chicks hitting on my guy’-list.”

“What, there are more than us two nutcases?”

“We ran into Stacy…”, Hannah admitted thoughfully.

“She left her husband, apparently for Greg.”

“Please, he’s way better off with you”, Cameron snapped.

“Because of her they cut out the muscle. The moment he was in a chemically induced coma to sleep through the pain she overruled everything he wanted. And I think there was something before she left here. When he bought that bike I thought he would crash against the next wall if he felt like it.”

“Nah, he wouldn’t do that, he loves that bike. Even with or just because of the scratch on the side. But we agree that we don’t like number two on my list”, Hannah said and leaned once more on the mattress.

“There’s also a number three? And should I be afraid of being number one?”

“As I said, Cuddy ran in on us… she must have shocked Greg, though. He asked me to move in officially.”

“Okay, you can cross me out on that list. I know when to give up”, Cameron smiled, receiving a warm smile back.

“Good. Who else would run to Victoria’s secret with me? Most of my other female friends consider gray as their favourite colour of underwear.”

 

***

 

Lisa Cuddy looked up from a patients complaint concerning… well, of course House. It was like he was haunting her, and she still wasn’t over that thing two days ago. Who the hell would have thought that House and her head of genetics…

Her visitor was another of her problems, bugging her for a long time now. Stacy Warner, former Barret walked into her office and she still could hear her ask “The third option you mentioned…?” It was a big maybe, but maybe he just would have gotten better, without the chronic pain if they had let him sleep through it. On the other hand – he COULD have died. And even if she always told anyone who wanted to hear it that she didn’t like Greg House, she had gotten used to him, and, what every psychiatrist would point out as a sign of craziness, she trusted him, and hated herself for what she had done to him.

What this woman had done to him.

“Stacy. What can I do for you?”

The lawyer looked at the dean of PPTH, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

“I wanted to ask if your offer is still standing.”

Cuddy managed to suppress a frown. She had made that offer because Stacy was good, and they needed good people in the law department, not only because of House’s shoot first, ask later tactics.

She hadn’t made it because she liked that woman.

“I thought you took that offer of Princeton General.”

“Well… it is… it’s…”

All of a sudden Stacy straightened her back.

“I’m not over him. I met him three days ago and all I can think of is him.”

Lisa Cuddy couldn’t help but think about her fear he would do something stupid when Stacy left the last time.

“I’m sorry, but I already have someone else. And you should leave him alone. He’s happy right now.”

The lawyer just frowned at her.

“You mean that redhead hooker he’s with? She’s too young for him. She’s no challenge for him. And maybe she’s just after his money after all… who wants a…”

Cuddy just stared at the woman.

“A cripple?”

“I didn’t say that. I know him. He’ll get bored soon. I give them another week, he’ll be with her not longer than a month.”

Cuddy could feel anger rise in her chest. Either you wanted to slap House silly, or you wanted to protect him from all the bad in the world that could happen to him. Right now she felt that motherly side in her, narrowing her blue eyes on the lawyer.

“First: Dr. McLachlan is no hooker but a highly decorated neurologist, and the head of a department here. Second: They are living together for much longer than a month. Third: He loves her.”

At that she fell silent for a moment. She should have seen it on the first day, when House had introduced himself with his first name. She should have seen it, when she found the two of them hanging out together.

She should have admitted it to herself that she had lost without even openly fighting that battle when he sat next to her on that poker table, his eyes on the neurologist and nowhere else.

She had seen it two days ago and asked herself why it hurt.

She didn’t even like him, for heaven’s sake!

And then all she had to do was looking into those baby blues to know she was fooling herself.

“He doesn’t love her. He loved me.”

“And you hadn’t the balls to fight for him when it got hard!” Cuddy snapped, rage reddening her cheeks.

“What?”

“If you really loved him you would have dealt with his mood after his leg. You would have stayed. You wouldn’t have played with him when your husband was here in rehab!”

Stacy’s mouth stood open for some seconds, staring at the dean of PPTH.

“I didn’t play with him. He sent me back to Mark, because he wouldn’t change! And I moved in with him when I only knew him a week, not bothering for a second date.”

Cuddy didn’t even look at her. Her eyes rested on the man with the cane in front of her office door, looking at her questioningly when he saw his ex sitting in there and the dean sighed, moving her eyes back to Stacy.

“That was what? Like eight years ago? He is no toy, and you’ve done enough damage already, physically as mentally to him. I will not offer you a job just because you feel like wanting him back, because Mark left you. Dr. McLachlan is good for him.”

Her eyes wandered back to the door, seeing him still standing there, smiling. Smiling softly, while leaning on his cane and all she wanted to do was cry because they had hurt him back then.

“Well. Princeton General is not far. I don’t need a job here to see him”, Stacy growled, making Cuddy growl in return.

“You’ll stay away from him. For your own sake.”

“What? You can’t order me…!”

“For your own sake. You don’t want to fight Dr. McLachlan.”

Stacy gulped at the thought of the redhead next to House in that restaurant, that made her want to wet her pants and cry in fear when she dared her to sit down.

Yet she managed to keep her self secure expression.

“I’m a lawyer. I know how to fight, too.”

“But that will be a fruitless fight”, a deep voice behind them said, shocking both women.

“Cuddy is right, I am no toy, unless that’s me being my girl’s boytoy, but that’s no story for in here. And since you didn’t understand me on Friday, I’ll repeat it for you in lawyer-speak: I don’t want you back. I have a new girlfriend, who is living with me, whom I love more than I ever loved you, and I didn’t even know that that was possible. Stay away from us. Just let me be happy for once.”

Stacy’s eyes narrowed on him.

“You’ll screw up. She doesn’t know you yet. I…”

“You screwed up!” House interrupted her, his voice getting louder.

“And she knows me better than anyone else… despite Wilson, maybe, but he’s just not as pretty. She doesn’t make my decisions. She won’t let me screw up, and you have to know, I tried already!”

The two people in front of her desk stared at each other and Cuddy knew it would take some time. Stacy nevertheless had been with House and knew him too. She could stand her ground against him, if she had to.

Surprising both women House just turned to Cuddy, as if not caring about his ex anymore.

“You already posted that add I need a new fellow?

She blinked two times before realizing that he had switched the topic.

“Ah… yes. Chase said you wanted him and Cameron to look at the candidates. Does that mean that I won’t have any crying applicants in my office this time, after you’re done with them?”

He chuckled at that, shaking his head.

“I assume that not. Although I _could_ teach Chase how to do that until Cameron is healthy enough again.”

At that she rolled her eyes, glad that she was back to her ‘he annoys me’ feeling.

“I think you still owe me some hours in the clinic, don’t you?” she asked, ignoring his remark and he rolled his eyes on her, flashing that incredible blue at her with a grin that told her he knew everything.

“You just want to stare at my ass when I walk out of here”, he grinned, turning around and actually walking towards the reception of the clinic.

Of course she did look. You had to be blind for not wanting to look at his buns, and she could see that cocky grin on his face because he knew she did, racking her brain when he last had asked her if she was taking the funbags for a walk…


	33. It's my minions vs. Thee!

“So… Dr. Ranshid… tell me, why you would be an enrichment for our team.” Robert Chase looked at the asian indian man in front of him, who looked at him and Cameron like they were bugging him.

“I thought Dr. House was looking for a new fellow?” the man behind the table asked.

“He is”, Cameron assured, taking a look at the vita the man had given her.

“You’re a nephrologist?”

“Shouldn’t Dr. House be doing the interviews?” was the answer she got, and that sealed her decision that this guy was not working with them.

“Dr. House is a busy man”, Chase spoke up, quickly looking at his female colleague. That was already the third highly decorated and arrogant applicant he wanted to kick out almoust immediately. And House was busy. It was General Hospital time, so he would be in the coma guy’s room, watching his soap.

“I am sorry, Dr. Ranshid, but we have already a nephrologist in our team, so…”

“I’m getting kicked out by lackeys?” the guy spoke up and Chase could hear Cameron growl next to him.

“You get kicked out by fellows of Dr. Gregory House who wants a team that works and not one overly selfconscious doctor.”

For that House was there.

“We have already a nephrologist, so I’m sorry, but you are not what we are looking for.”

“You don’t have a nephrologist. You are specialist for intensive care and a surgeon, she’s an immunologist, and House…”

“Has a double specialty for infectuos diseases and nephrology. Learn how to use the internet before you think about telling us what we are doing”, the surgeon snapped and watched the indian leave the office with a growl on his face.

“You know, I never knew why House hated job interviews, I thought it was fun for him to snap at applicants”, Cameron sighed, looking at her male colleague.

“That is no fun.”

 

***

 

“So… Dr. Robson. Tell me, why you would be an enrichment for our team.”

The young afroamerican frowned at Chase the moment he had said that.

“Isn’t Dr. House doing the interview?”

“Dr. House is a busy man. Since we will be working with you most of the time he delegated the interviews. Now, tell me why we would need an angiologist”, Cameron answered, while Chase gritted his teeth.

 

***

 

“So… Dr. Yeng. Tell me, why you would be an enrichment for our team.”

When the young asian woman started to speak the two ducklings asked themselves if she was inventing a new language with the random use of english words, or something that at least sounded like english words.

 

***

 

Chase just wanted to strangle the candidate that was sitting in House’s office when the door was opened and their boss marched in.

He looked angry.

“Get out! Some sick kid just puked on me. God, I hate sick people!”

Chase and Cameron obediently got up from their seats.

The applicant had the nerves to stay and extend his hand.

“Hello… my name is…”

“What in ‘Get out!’ didn’t you understand? The candidates all that braindead?” House growled at his ducklings before throwing them out and grabbing his bag with his spare clothing. At least this time he did find pants.

Cameron in the conference room sighed.

“Thank God. One minute more and I would have killed that guy.”

 

***

 

House stayed in his office, earplugs of his iPod in his ears.

At least he wasn’t sleeping this time, or killing spacemonkeys.

He was typing on his keyboard when the next applicant came into the room, smiling friedly at the two doctors.

“Hi. I’m Lukas Cramer.”

Chase and Cameron smiled back.

“Have a seat.”

They watched the tall, blonde man sit down, handing them his papers. Cameron flipped the file open, being greeted by a long list of specialties and quite an impressive vita.

“So. Dr. Cramer. Tell me why you would be an enrichtment for our team?” Chase started and was surprised by the answer.

“Well, first of all: I’ll be the third C in that team. Cameron, Chase and Cramer. Sounds good, doesn’t it?”

“It sounds more like a law firm”, Chase smiled back, glancing at the file.

“You’re an angiologist?”

“Yes. With a wide experience in cardiology, too… and since all our blood is also running through the lungs I also find my way in there.”

The ducklings smiled at that, relieved that there were also normal people sitting in front of the glass walls.

“You studied in Germany?”

“My mother is german, married an US soldier who was stationed there… and when they want you in Berlin, you go to Berlin…”

 

***

 

Cameron wanted to scream really loud when she was asked for the third time in a row why Dr. House wasn’t doing the interview.

Until now they should have learned that it was her and Chase who decided who would be invited again.

By now they also should have learned not to wander into House’s office to evade the two doctors. Three already had tried it, and he had managed to make one of them cry while the other two just fled out of the hospital.

Yet there was another genius approaching the door and she didn’t even think about rescuing that guy when she saw Hannah wandering down the corridor, reaching the door a tad before the other victim.

She turned back to the ophtalmologist in front of her, explaining to him why they wouldn’t need his special knowledge, not caring about the guy out there, who made a loud “Hey!” into the neurologist’s direction.

 

“Hey! I was first! You can’t just walk in there!” the guy in the new suit and the disgusting tie spat at her like he owned the place. She just stared at him until he started to squirm under her gaze, then opened the door.

“Then come in with me, if you have to.”

She opened the door, with House frowning at her when the candidate walked in after her, growling at her “I was first! Go out!”

She just smiled at House and he smiled back.

“Is it time already?”

“It’s 5:03 p.m. I wondered why you are still in here. And you promised not to forget to feed me anymore”, she grinned, the applicant looking at her confused.

“That I will be hearing for the rest of my life, won’t I? But since you asked me so nice, oh significant other, let’s go… but first I have to look how my kiddies are doing”, he grinned back, heading for the door towards the conference room, briefly turning around to the candidate that was still staring at Hannah.

“Stop checking out my woman. And when you have done that get out of the hospital. No one needs fellows that can’t follow the simple order to ‘Stay the hell out of my office!’”

 

When he opened the door to the conference room he could hear Chase growl.

Chase never growled.

“If I have to hear one more time ‘Why isn’t Dr. House doing the interview and it is beyond my dignity to speak to the fellows I might be working with”, then I’ll kill one of them.”

“I’ll help you”, Cameron offered, turning around to find their boss staring at them, shaking his head.

“Jeez, next time say something.”

With that he marched out the door, stopping in front of the candidates that were still there.

“Hi. I’m Greg House.”

Some of the doctors jumped up, some of them extending their hands, some just staring at him, when he ignored the hands.

“I know you all are highly decorated kick ass doctors, who are way too good for our hospital, but the name Greg House still does wonders for a vita, doesn’t it?”

Some started to protest until he stared at them, memorizing their faces, if they made it through the interview by some wonder.

“I on the other hand am not really interested who of you does what I order them to do, I don’t care how many charity cases you list and think they will get you in here. All I will know is if Dr. Chase and Dr. Cameron think that you will fit in the team. Since I was not allowed to do a crossover of American Idol and Takeshi’s castle instead of interviews these two doctors are the hurdle you have to get over. And you don’t do that by whining why you of all people only get the lackeys to talk to. They work with me long enough and don’t hesitate to kick you out, although more politely than I would do that. It’s my minions against you now. If I hear one more complaint from Dr. Chase or Dr. Cameron, then Dr. McLachlan and I will do the interviews. And you don’t want that, because she’s a Marine and will kick your ass for me.”

By now all candidates were looking at him shocked, while Cameron heard Hannah murmur “Great, now I’m dragged into that, too.”

House turned to her, once again proving his good hearing, and grinned at her.

“Well, what did I tell you about the state of New Jersey and half of what you own belongs to me? Works also the other way round!”

She just laughed and turned around to disappear in his office, fetching his backpack. When she came out again he was declaring that his fellows would go home now and the candidates had to reappear tomorrow.

By now noone dared to speak up.

 

***

 

“You know, I think you will be a good Dad”, she said while walking next to him to his parking place.

“What?”

“Well, you just were quite protective in there with Cameron and Chase.”

“You are the one referring to them as my kiddies. I just act”, he smiled.

“Please. Chase and Cameron always come running to Daddy. Only Foreman tried Mommy.”

“Ugh, stop talking about Cuddy as Mommy. That’s your job now.”

He opened the passenger door of his corvette for her, pecking her on the lips before getting around to his side.

Hannah waved at the surgeon on the space oposite of them who stared at them wide eyed, openmouthed, and whose bag just had fallen to the ground.


	34. He's been watching them

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it until now.

Then he asked himself when he had stopped to care.

When he had started working with House he didn’t understand why everybody disliked the diagnostician. Good, he was grouchy, direct and impolite.

He liked that because even though his boss was unpredictable you at least could rely on these qualities, and that he said what he meant.

What devil did ride him when he tried to help Vogler he still didn’t know.

The billionare just wanted the power that was attached to his chair in the board, and even though Chase knew that House would torment him for some weeks with the mistake he had made, cheating on him never had been the right decision because he knew in the end House would win.

He tried to think about the time before that, when it had been only him, Cameron, Foreman and House against the rest of the world. He was always the one trying to lighten the mood when he felt them grazing the next argument, throwing in a silly remark, a stupid answer, a lifted hand like a schoolboy and the grumpy diagnostician would look at him like he lost his mind, sometimes shaking his head, smiling ever so slightly.

House had cared enough to ask what was going on between him and his father, and when he made another mistake that night his old man died House had to take the blame.

Foreman had failed miserably, just not being a match for the experienced older man who knew how to play his game. He had it coming, yet he didn’t see it. He knew from the minute House grinned at Foreman, telling him he was the boss now, nothing was his problem anymore.

So how had he managed not to see it?

 

Oblivious to the fact that he should also be interviewing the next applicant he had his head turned towards the office of his boss, sitting on his chair next to the head of genetics, leafing through a magazine, discussing about something.

House could sense things.

Maybe also his look resting on him, because he lifted his head and turned it towards his conference room, spotting Chase there, who let Cameron do all the work.

To his surprise his boss sent him a grin, lifting the magazine.

They were looking for a bed.

The surgeon couldn’t help but smile when also Dr. McLachlan lifted her head, shaking it amused when she got what the man next to her was doing and pointed at two of the beds, making an asking face.

He motioned for the one on the left side, feeling like a little boy again, when everything had been alright and he still was able to be disappointed when his Dad didn’t make it to a soccer game, or a school play. When he wasn’t a 15 year old alone with his alcolhol addict mom…

She made a ‘Told you so!’ gesture, House letting his shoulders fall in defeat, before lifting another magazine, this time with wardrobes.

Chase rolled his eyes at that. So House was even delegating when he was buying furniture.

“You will hear from us!” Cameron interrupted his thoughts, bringing him back to his actual job, and he watched the applicant leave. As soon as the woman was out of the room the immunologist added a “When hell freezes over!”

Before she could even call in the next one, House and Dr. McLachlan appeared in the conference room, the diagnostician still clutching his magazine.

Dropping it down on the glass table he plopped himself onto a chair.

“Differential diagnosis. Why would someone need a wardrobe as big as that?”

Chase happily jumped at that one.

“Well… many clothes? You store them in there, you know?”

“Uh, it has also room for shoes… I wish I had space for something as big as that…”, Cameron piped up, turning the page to look at another one and House growled.

“That was not one of my bestest ideas. Give a woman a magazine like that and she replaces every furniture in your house.”

“Nah, I don’t want to replace every furniture. You said you wanted another bed”, Hannah said, sitting down next to them, pointing at another closet with a big mirror.

“And then why are we looking at wardrobes?”

“Has to match the bed”, Chase piped up matter of factly, rolling his eyes at the stares he got.

“I knew you were just too pretty to be straight”, House stated and Chase just shrugged.

He liked that friendly banter.

He even liked it when House was yelling at him.

It told him that he was interested in him, wanted him to become a better doctor, even though he always wanted to appear like he didn’t care.

For that Robert Chase didn’t need a decoder. His Dad had always said he would be there and wasn’t.

House didn’t say a word but was there nevertheless.

And maybe he didn’t even know that.


	35. Pretending to be bored...

He tried really hard.

Really, really hard.

It just did not work, pretending to be bored, when he saw her laying down on the bed they might be buying, hopping up and down a bit.

“Come on, sit down! You have to sleep in that thing, too!” she said, flopping onto her back with the saleswoman looking at him a bit confused.

“We’ll not be _sleeping_  any more than we were in the old one”, he pointed out, the woman staring at him even more intently now.

Hannah just turned on her stomach when he leaned to the sales assistant, saying in a low voice “That’s why we need the new bed. Old one gave up and went to a happy place.”

And he would never tell anyone that he wanted a new one because his old bed had been his and Stacy’s bed. He could have gotten a new one back then, but the bed was almost new, and he in denial.

The bed was just a bed and nothing more.

“I think it is too low”, Hannah said, standing up from the mattress that was only 12 inches above the floor. The assistant watched his cane, nodding slowly.

“Yeah, the cripple wants out of bed, too… at least sometimes!” House piped up and pouted when he didn’t get any reaction from both women. They just wandered to another bed, this one high enough for him, so that he didn’t have to attach handles to lift himself.

Frowning at this image he saw her lay down again, almost bumping her head at the head board.

“Okay, that’s not the one… You’ll have concussions all the time!” she exclaimed, now making him and the other woman frown at her.

“Aw, come on, don’t pretend I haven’t heard you before!” Hannah grinned and he had to smile in defeat.

She got up, sitting down on a wooden bed, quite similar to his old one, just the wood was not as dark. It would match the wardrobe with the big space for shoes…

And he really, really tried to pretend he was bored.

“You’re delivering these things for free, aren’t you?” he asked the assistant.

 

***

 

“It will be such an opportunity to work with you, one of the best…”

His ears closed when he heard that sentence, watching the guy in front of him babble on like a monkey, while Hannah kicked his left shin under the desk, what made him jerk.

“Ow!”

“I’m doing this because you threatened them we would be interviewing them if they complained to Chase or Cameron once more. And I stress the WE, Dr. House!”

Uh oh. _Dr. House._

“Now I don’t know why you would need an anesthetist, since they do not diagnose anything, just stick needles into patients, but I’m not going to listen to him alone while you’re zoning out!”

House just turned to the frightened man with the thick glasses.

“I told you she would kick your ass, and that you were better off with my minions. But did anyone of you listen? Now send in the next victim.”

 

The next one was a woman… something he would have called lobby art if that hadn’t been Cameron’s current job description, immediately sticking her hand into his face, smiling at him with a perfect smile… making Hannah growl next to him and he had to smile.

Glad to see he wasn’t the only one possessive…

When she gave him her file he had to pretend that he was not bored.

Dermatologist?

Chase was taking him way too serious.

Her first two sentences contained three ‘Uhm’. Enough reason for him to kick her out, watching her cry when he told her she should chose a real profession first, where she actually had to deal with dead people before even thinking about going into a hospital again.

 

They had one appropriate applicant and three he wanted to stuff in the trashcan immediately when Hannah made one of them cry.

Big guy, twice her size, and all she didn’t do was insulting his mother when she was done.

So much for ‘I’m talking to _him_ right now’, when Dr. McLachlan was asking you a question, knowing that House had switched off his ear drums again.

House sighed.

“I can’t do this anymore. Their IQ seems to drop 5 points for every minute they’re sitting out there.”

“Go out, ask them if they still want us to do the interviews…”, Hannah sighed in return.

“And then they want to show us how tough they are and say yes?” House growled, exactly knowing how the bunch out there would react.

“Cameron and Chase will take over again. They won’t be complaining anymore after you made the Terminator cry. Wanna join me in clinic?”

A smile crept on her face.

“Exam room 2?”

 

***

 

“I think I have GvHD”, the elderly woman stated, watching the reaction of the female doctor that just marched into her room.

Bad thing was she didn’t react. Just opened the file and scribbled something down.

“Did you hear me? I think I have GvHD!”

“I’ll alert the media”, the redhead doctor said, lifting her black eyes from the chart.

“Are you kidding me?” the woman wanted to know, being scrutinized by the female doctor.

“No, I think having GvHD without having transplanted a thing is really THE thing for the media. You’ll make tons of money. Well, until they find out that there are no T-cells attacking your tissue. Then I think they’ll sue you.”

“You are just as impolite as the other…”

The woman was interrupted by someone opening the door.

“Hey, Han, you ready for…?”

The elderly woman glanced at him while he glared back.

“Let me guess. GvHD again. Didn’t I tell you to learn how to use the internet?”

“I don’t know you.”

Now Hannah frowned.

“You just told me that I was as impolite as your last doctor. He was your last doctor.”

“Are you implying that I lie?” the older woman snapped, making House growl.

“Everybody lies.”

“You…!”

The door opened again, this time with House’s favourite nurse (the one that had heard Cuddy yell at him and brought him his cane) and a young woman.

“I called her. You were right telling me to memorize her face”, the nurse spoke up while she led the woman inside the exam room.

“Granny.”

The head of the older woman turned towards the door, frowning at the girl.

“Do I know you?”

Now it dawned to the diagnostician.

“She has Alzheimer’s?”

Great. And he hadn’t seen it. Another ego boost for Cuddy in here. The granddaughter nodded.

“It’s not that bad, most of the time she’s almost normal. And then she wanders off into a hospital, proclaiming she has GvHD.”

“Why would she do that?” the neurologist wanted to know, whatching House studying the older woman on the bed.

“Your husband died of that, didn’t he?” he asked her, the old woman nodding slowly.

“That was before the term GvHD was even invented… what am I doing here? Did I wander off again?”

“Yes… I’ll take you home, Granny.”

“Make sure to add locks on the doors”, House piped up, watching them and the nurse leave, then he closed the door behind them and turned  to Hannah.

“God, she seemed so normal… well, except for the illness she wanted to have.”

“Please, there was no clue for Alzheimer’s. I just wanted to send her to fifth floor…”

Standing up from her chair she approached him who was still in deep thought.

“Soooo… talking about locks on doors…”

Their pagers went off simultaniously, with Cuddy sticking her head into the exam room only seconds later.

“Students, bindge drinking. Many of them, so get going!”

 

***

 

“I feel icky.”

“You didn’t get puked on. You have no right to feel icky.”

“Well… that ER-green matches your eyes, though.”

“Green and black? How does that match?”

“In an X-box kind of way. New Jersey must have run out of alcohol. These students all drank it.”

“Or puked it on me.”

“Well… you didn’t screech. I’m proud of you.”

Hannah just growled at that, returning to the exam room where she had left a girl that was feeling bad but said she hadn’t had that much… a female friend was sitting in there with her, rubbing her back.

“I’m really sorry”, the girl said when the two doctors got into the room again, House telling Cuddy that this was more than just too much alcohol.

“Don’t worry. So, where were we…”

“I was telling you I felt like crap. I mean, I’ve had a lot, but not that much.”

“Did you take any medication?”

“I gave her an aspirin because she was having a headache.”

“And I told you that I’m only taking Paracetamol… you know that!”

House and Hannah sighed and to their surprise the other student growled.

“And you wonder you feel like crap? I believe we’re studying the same. Alcohol causes Paracetamol to be degraded into something toxic, and if I wasn’t that tipsy right now I maybe could get the name right. You so deserve that.”

There grew the next generation…

 

***

 

“Aw, come on, can’t that wait until tomorrow?”

He watched her taking out some petry dishes of the incubator and switching on the bunsen burner.

“No, because the student wants to harvest tomorrow, and I'm doing her a favor.”

He just frowned.

“Harvest what?”

“E. coli. Hopefully with very much of that plasmid she electroporated into them.”

He fell onto a chair behind her, sighing.

“So you fried these poor creatures, and now you’re burning them?”

Hopefully that wasn’t taking too long.

Grabbing a glass pipette and a pipette boy she filled ten 250 ml Erlenmeyers with medium.

Great. Ten. TEN.

“No. I’m growing them over night.”

She scribbled I – X onto the flasks before grabbing the plastic tips, then she scratched one of the bacteria colonies of the agar in the petri dish and dropped it into the flask.

She was done in no time, putting the dish in the fridge and the Erlenmeyers on a shaker in the incubator.

“Okay, Mr. Tight pants, now we can go…”

“Mr. What?”

“You know what I mean. And I suggest that we order our food already in the car, because I don’t think that after all that delay this afternoon any of us wants to wait when we’re at home… unless…”

His eyes locked on hers the moment her tone got lower.

“Unless what?”

“You stop to pretend being bored by my work and join me on that couch out there…”

 

***

 

As tempting that had sounded, he had decided against it.

There still were too many scientific Geeks in the building who could disturb them, and he didn’t like being disturbed when he was fucking.

So he just ignored the doorbell when he drove into her, her moans urging him on when she closed her legs behind his back.

It felt almost too good having her under him, clawing his back while he closed his lips around one taunt nipple, crushing his hips against hers.

He allowed his brain to race once more because it distracted him from the feeling of her around him.

He liked sex.

What was new for him was that with her he craved it like the air he needed to breathe.

He felt like in heaven when he was thrusting into her, coming that hard that it blinded him for some seconds. It felt like home. And that he never had felt before when sleeping with a woman.

When he felt her hand in his hair, pulling his head up again to kiss him harshly his brain switched off obediently, letting the rest of his blood rush to south where it was needed more.

His arms closed around her back when he drew her as close as possible, increasing his pace. Eliciting a “God… Greg”, out of that beautiful throat, oblivious to the fact that he was grunting her name.

Completing his task to make her come before him he only lasted one thrust more, his scream muffled by her lips that were still kissing him.

He collapsed on top of her, his head comfortably on her shoulder and could feel her legs slide down from his waist to his thighs, eventually to the mattress. Her arms closed around his back.

“Love you…”, he mumbled against her neck, concentrating on her fingers, tickling down his spine. She kissed his shoulder.

“Love you too…”, was the sleepy answer.

Then her stomach growled and he had to laugh. She protested when he rolled off her and went looking for his cell phone. When he had bribed the owner of the Chinese order service to send the guy with their food back, he sat down on the bed again and watched her hug a pillow while drifting into sleep.

“Food’s here in 15 minutes.”

“Hmmm…”

He sat there the entire 15 minutes, only getting up to put on his sweat pants and a T-shirt, before returning to watch her sleep again.

He could never pretend to be bored by that.

 


	36. Hold your breath and count to four...

Okay, they had narrowed them down to three.

Still, that were three more people than he wanted to talk to.

He watched them sitting in front of his office, two women and a guy. Another blonde guy with good looks. Hopefully he didn’t have that australian accent, or he would have to hire him just because Chase needed a friend.

His two minions reached his office with Hannah in tow, who slightly glared at him.

“I thought it would be only the interviews?”

“Hey, one of them out there will be also your new kiddy. Don’t be so harsh.”

She just snorted at that, taking the seat next to him.

“And how will you be doing this? Position all of them next to Chase and Allison and find out what’s looking best?” the neurologist mocked, making his eyes go wide and his lips curl into a smile.

“That’s a great idea… Get them in here!”

Hannah rolled her eyes when Chase asked the applicants to join them in the room. She should have known better than to ask him of all people something like that.

“Okay…” House glared at one of the files on his desk.

“Dr. Freeman. Freeman? Were you two looking for something that sounded like Foreman?” he asked his two ducklings. They knew better than to say a thing.

“Okay, Dr. Freeman, cardiologist. Step next to Dr. Chase and Dr. Cameron.”

The female doctor did what he had asked her to, looking really confused, her eyes wandering from the diagnostician to Hannah  and then back to the two fellows, while House scrutinized the group, slightly shaking his head.

“Nah, that won’t work, what do you say?” He turned to Hannah who narrowed her eyes on him.

“Is that this New Jersey law thing again?”

“Yep. You’ll be their Mommy, so?”

“We have four top class cardiologists in here, two of them don’t hate you. I’d stick to them.”

He was a bit surprised by the bluntness of that, but grabbed another file.

“Dr. Bucks… would you change position with Dr. Foreman?”

“Freeman!” Cameron threw in, shaking her head. This was the most ridiculous job interview she’d ever seen.

“Oh, yeah. Freeman. Switch places.”

The colored neurologist reminded him of Foreman and he growled, shaking his head again. He grabbed the last file.

“Cramer… Jeez, Cameron, Chase and Cramer. Sounds like a lawfirm.”

He watched the blonde switch places with the other doctor, grinning just as Chase and Cameron at his remark.

Bingo.

Looked like something he wanted to take a picture of and place it on his desk – if he were that kind of person.

“Well, why not an angiologist… Hannah?”

“Print a poster, yell yay! I have work to do!” the woman next to him grumped, getting up from her chair.

“Didn’t you get enough yesterday? Man, and I tried so hard…” The younger doctors stared at him in disbelieve (except for Chase and Cam… well, they knew him already…), saying something like that openly.

“You let me sleep!”

“Crap, I forgot to feed you again!” he grinned, trying to make her smile at least a bit.

She just turned to the angiologist instead.

“Congrats. I’ll be the one doing the spanking since he’s not fast enough anymore, when you screw up.”

The younger man just stared at her back when she left the room, while House behind them couldn’t hide a chuckle.

“You’ll start on Monday. Show him everything. The other two of you: Happy job hunting.”

Then he got up from his seat, too, limping towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Cameron wanted to know and he turned around with a grin.

“What do you think? Feed my woman. Or do you want to repeat those two days in hell?”

Cameron just closed her eyes and sighed.

Chase did the same while the two other applicants left House’s office too.

“Is he always like that?” Cramer wanted to know watching him limp towards the elevator faster that a man with his handicap should have been able to.

“No… He’s almost friendly today.”

 

***

 

She was not in her office.

When some PhD-students fled another room he at least knew where he had to look.

She stood in front of a centrifuge, actually growling at this thing.

Then she stopped it, taking out whatever was spinning in there and placed her stuff inside it. With an evil grin she switched it back on.

“Never mess with the head of the institute.”

“You are so cranky because someone stole your spin thing?”

She turned around to him and sighed.

“I am cranky because I’m hungry – and this time I mean food and not what you assumed this morning…”

He smiled briefly at the memory when a tall man stormed into the room.

“What the hell!!!”

She flashed her coal glowing gaze at the guy.

“Yeah, what the hell. Can’t you read? I reserved that thing till noon.”

“You just ruined an important…!”

“Don’t wet your pants, it’s just a Midi, pellet’s visible, freeze them and leave me alone!”

“You…!”

“She what? She’s your boss, so go away before you’ve _been_ doing research.”

He felt like defending her right now, so why not?

The guy just hmphed at him, turning on his heels and leaving the room again.

Everybody on campus knew who Greg House was.

And that you didn’t want to mess with him.

“What was that?” she wanted to know after some seconds.

“I have to un-grump you, so this argument was in my way”, he answered, producing a package from behind his back.

“You brought me food?”

“You know you really shocked that new guy… you can’t be that grumpy to the newbies…”

“You brought me food.”

“… who by the way is afraid of Mommy spanking him…”

She closed the distance between them, grabbing the package in his hands.

“You. Brought. Me. Food.”

“Yeah. You going to point out how caveman that is of me?”

“Nah, I’m just acting cavewoman. I’ll eat this stuff and reward you later…”

She had snatched the package out of his hand and was already on the way to her office when he was finally able to pull his mind out of the gutter.

 

***

 

“Why can’t it be Lupus? Raynaud symptomes also can be caused by a vasculitis that comes…”

“It’s never Lupus!” House growled at his new duckling, staring at the symptomes on his white board. They were missing something.

“And you know that because…?”

Lukas Cramer was working for Gregory House for almost two weeks now. Two weeks in which he had been forced to do the older man’s clinic duty, had sat in the conference room really bored with his two colleagues, one of them doing one crossword after the other, while the other one was doing their boss’ mail.

And when he wasn’t bored he was in here until the lights went out because House had a puzzle and didn’t let them go until they had solved it.

House eyed his other two ducklings.

“One of you wants to tell him?”

Chase sighed while Cameron rolled her eyes.

“Because it’s never Lupus.”

His boss plopped down on his chair and started to swirl his cane.

A cane he used not only to walk. He used it as hockey stick with the big tennis ball in his office, to drag just everthing from place A to place B, to knock on doors and to trip people in the cafeteria.

Actually to trip one of the women who worked there and constantly put pickles on his sandwich even though he had ordered it without.

“Aw, come on, people, think! Tell me what we know!”

“It seems only to affect her arteries…”, Cameron mentioned.

“And…?”

She read what he had written on the board to humor him. It was late and she wanted to go home, shower, turn the pager off and forget about the hospital for some hours. She’d been here almost two days straight, running every test she could think of.

“And that are all symptoms of Lupus”, Cramer piped up, being scrutinized by the diagnostician.

“Yeah, I know, it’s never Lupus, but maybe she’s an exception.”

House frowned at him, whincing when he got up from the chair.

“Chase, take Cramer with you, look at her house. Look at the pills she’s taking…”

“She told us about..”

Chase interrupted his male colleague.

“Everybody lies. Or maybe she didn’t think it was important”, he said, getting up and grabbing his bag.

They were already outside the conference room when House hollered after them “I want the results tomorrow! One of you is staying here later”, before the diagnostician turned to his female duckling.

“Patient’s stable. Go home.”

He was already in his office, grabbing his backpack when she realized what he had said.

 

***

 

“You know, I think I’m becoming too soft…”, he said when he entered their home, throwing his backpack next to her high heels that were laying next to his piano.

From his living room he heard a clattering sound and a moan.

When he had hurried in there he found Hannah sitting crosslegged in front of the coffeetable with her laptop on it, a bottle of beer dangerously slanting in her hand. She had her eyes firmly shut.

“Please tell me this thing in front of me is still doing its job!”

“I still can see graphics and it’s not smoking…”

At that she opened one eye, then the other.

“Thank God. That goddamn presentation is bugging me since I started to type it into this evil machine from hell.”

“Yeah, and you’re leaving me alone here for three days just because you want to go to London. To do this congress stuff…”

He sat down on the couch next to her, grabbing her beer, and she leaned her head against his thigh.

“I asked you if you wanted to come along. My sister and her husband are celebrating their marriage again for their friends and family. They will be shocked if I drag someone male along.”

He thoughtfully took a sip, caressing her hair.

“You know I’m not good in family. I don’t even see my own.”

She turned around, watching him.

“And I told you that I’m not mad. No need to justify yourself.”

Funny thing was he believed her. Normally when a woman said something like that you could be sure she was having a migraine every time you wanted to touch her.

“Tell me why they’re celebrating again.”

“They married in Vegas because they were under different chains of command for a short time. Next day he became her boss. It was either to end their relationship or marry. There was no time for a big party back then.”

“Thank God we’re not in the armed forces”, he sighed, finishing her beer.

She started to laugh.

“I shouldn’t tell you that, because you might want to run… but almost all of my siblings married in Vegas on short notice…”

“You are kidding me.”

“No. Delia and Steve eloped because Dad wanted to kill Steve, since he knocked her up. David and his wife were on a conference when they decided that marriage sounded good. James and his wife were so drunk they still don’t remember the ceremony… and Matt, well, he and James are twins, so… and since I’m their triplet…”

He laughed with her, shaking his head.

“So… Vegas, huh?”

He set the bottle down on the table, grabbing the remote controll for his TV and switched it on.

Leaning back on his couch he mused silently.

“You know, Vegas doesn’t sound bad. I mean, Elvis doing the ceremony? How cool is that?”

He was watching Garry the snail tying the shoes of Spongebob, and she was doing the same, trying not to show him she was actually having trouble to breathe right now.


	37. Not afraid of it, anymore...

“So… how is Miss ‘I’m taking way too much of my migraine meds’ today?” he asked his ducklings that were sitting somewhat relaxed in the conference room.

Chase and Cameron at least managed to look surprised, while Cramer showed him the real thing.

“You knew? Why didn’t you say a thing?”

“Uh… because this is a teaching hospital and you should learn something? For example how to diagnose people like her?”

“But…”

“You obviously want to tell me now, that we could have known way earlier. Now comes my but. The damage is already done. Ergotamine containing meds cause spasms in the arteries, with destructive and irreversible consequences.”

“I know that, thank you. You still could have told us yesterday.”

“Yeah, but I was too busy to tell you that…”

“How could you be too busy to make a short phonecall?”

He stared intently at the blonde angiologist and happily realized that he still could make people squirm with only his gaze.

“I was too busy being happy that my girl doesn’t have any migraines”, he then grinned, disappearing in his office and leaving the openmouthed duckling number three.

Chase sighed.

“Rule number one, mate. Don’t ask questions that provoke a sarcastic answer.”

“That would be almost every question I could ask”, Cramer replied while he watched House drop his backpack, dig out his iPod and lay down on the yellow chair, plopping his feet up. At least it wasn’t new for him anymore to find his boss sleeping in there as if it was the most normal thing of the world.

“Exactly”, was all, that Cameron said before turning to her desk, grabbing House’s pile of mail.

 

***

 

“If that isn’t important I’m going to increase your clinic hours”, Lisa Cuddy growled into exam room one, finding House there and an older man, who was clutching his button down shirt closed.

“You didn’t tell me she is a woman!” the man exclaimed, getting up from the bed.

House just stared at the man while Cuddy was blocking the door effectively by only standing there.

“It does really matter to you that the endocrinologist you need is a woman? Aren’t the boobs a problem big enough?”

The man just looked embarrassed while Cuddy looked confused.

“Boobs?”

“Yeah… you know, they’re also called funbags. But you are allowed to have a pair of them. He’s not. Wrong gender. If that’s not discrimination…”

The older man just stared at him in disbelief while Cuddy just rolled her eyes and stepped towards the patient to look at his problem.

The man stared at House, who sighed.

“I’ll stay so she’s not groping too much?”

 

“Some people are really weird”, Lisa Cuddy stated after she had said goodbye to the man, who obviously thought his wife’s hormone pills would be good for him, too.

“And now I’ve really seen everything.”

House laughed silently.

“Ever had a teenage girl with a cellphone in her you know where?”

Cuddy frowned at his playful tone.

“What? Why would someone do that?”

“Don’t know. She didn’t even have it on vibration. That I would have understood…”

She still had her forehead furrowed.

“Why exactly are you telling me that?”

“I’m just making conversation.”

“You are never just making conversation. What do you want, House?”

Waiting for a sarcastic reply she looked at him, still sitting on his chair, letting his cane jump a bit.

He didn’t look sarcastic at all.

“I need someone to talk.”

Okay. Now she was surprised.

“Is… isn’t that Wilson’s job?”

“I don’t think he’s qualified being divorced three times…”

And he never stopped to surprise her.

“You want to talk about your relationship with Dr. McLachlan? With me?”

He didn’t answer, just continued to dent the hospital floor with his cane. Softening she leaned against the exam bed.

“You two having an argument?”

He shook his head.

“We don’t argue very often. And believe me, I still wonder how we manage. It’s Stacy.”

Cuddy’s eyes widened slightly.

“Please tell me you’re not…”

“No, I meant what I said in your office. But ever since I met her again, I just can’t stop thinking about how I screwed up back then… she just did what she thought was right.”

She could see his mind work and didn’t interrupt his thoughts by pointing out how this woman had betrayed his trust, and what it had made out of him.

“I wasn’t Mr. Sunshine before the leg. But I was happy…”

“Aren’t you happy now?” she wanted to know, watching his eyes fix on her.

“Of course I am! I’m just not sure if… if…” His voice caught. Why was he doing this? He hadn’t thought about talking to Cuddy about his innermost feelings when he had called her for the consult.

“You don’t know if what? She’s happy? Ask her.”

His voice was low by now.

“What if something like that happens again? She’s such an active person… she’s running five miles every morning. I’m barely able to make it up the stairs when I want to be on the roof.”

“Six years ago everybody thought you wouldn’t be able to walk ever again. So being barely able to make it up the stairs is like a normal person running five miles.”

He stayed quiet for a while.

When he spoke again his voice was rough.

“I wanted a family with Stacy. Home, kids, cat. She always said she wasn’t mother material, but I thought she would change her mind. We moved into a bigger appartment, with a spare room we could use as library… that we could use as a room for a child when the time was right. I knew I was compensating for not having a good childhood. I used to envy the Dads with their sons, playing baseball in the park because that was something my Dad never did with me.”

Sighing he leaned on his cane, resting his chin against he handle.

“Then the thing with my leg happened and she betrayed me. And at some point when she still wanted to make me feel better she mentioned we _could_ have this child _I_  always wanted.”

He looked at Cuddy who watched him with a really confused expression on her face. Who would have thought that Greg House of all people _wanted_ children?

“Even though the pain was driving me crazy back then I suddenly knew I didn’t want this woman to be the mother of my child. It would have been on earth only because I wanted it, not we. I’ll never be the one running after my son who chose to steal the baseball instead of throwing it back.”

“Nah, you’ll be limping.”

Now he watched her surprised.

Cuddy just looked at him, scrutinized him. She knew he liked babies, mostly because people just were bugging him after they had grown teeth and started to talk. He himself had performed the autopsy on the baby boy when they had this epidemic. He had tried to save the baby whose mother had tried to suffocate it. He didn’t grump at kids in the clinic, actually they felt quite comfortable around him, even when he was snapping at their parents. Kids he treated never squealed or screamed. Their parents did, though, very often.

“But first I suggest you speak to Dr. McLachlan about your plans.”

“Would you be shocked if I told you we already have talked about that?”

Cuddy just shook her head and smiled.

“Actually no. You two are not wasting time with anything.”

He just watched his cane hop on the floor for some seconds, until Cuddy sighed again.

“You know, she’s not Stacy. She’s accepting your wishes. And before you ask me how I can know that, do I really have to drag out the Foreman thing again?”

“That wasn’t what I wanted to say. Just that Wilson said the same. I have noticed that she’s not Stacy from the first second I saw her.”

Cuddy frowned.

“And you couldn’t tell Wilson all you have told me because? He’s divorced? I’ve been a single for longer as I want to admit in your presence.”

“Yeah. But you’re a woman. And Wilson… I don’t know, we never talked about that…”

They were guys. They didn’t talk about babies, at least not on purpose. And he was wondering since the first marriage how the oncologist had managed to have to pay only for his ex-wives and not a bunch of kids.

“I know, big straight males don’t do that. All I can say is that kids never cease to surprise you. And being yours, they’ll insult schoolfriends talking about their limping Dad without them even knowing it, while they take advantage of your handicap any time possible. Hannah will be doing the running while you are doing the throwing, pointing out that girls just can’t throw things.”

He grinned at that. Yeah, he definitely would point out something like that.

“Yeah. That sounds like me. So the baseball thing is clear. What do I do if we get a girl?”

Cuddy’s smile never faded.

“You’ll buy her a pony and auntie Lisa will spoil her rotten.”

 

***

 

“It’s big.”

“It’s not any bigger than before. And why are you whispering?”

“Don’t know. And you whisper, too.”

Leaning in the doorway to his bedroom the two doctors were watching the new bed and the new wardrobe in the freshly painted bedroom.

Suddenly her arms closed around his waist and she leaned her head against his chest. His arm sneaked around her shoulder.

“I like it”, he said, louder than before.

“It’s beautiful”, she agreed, lifting her head.

His eyes were watching her intently, his mind still at the conversation he’d had with Cuddy.

“Are you happy?”

Her lips closed onto his, before she answered.

“Yes.”

His lips captured hers now, his tongue slighly grazing over the lower one before she let him in.

“Wanna eat first and christen it later?” he asked against her lips, letting out a low moan when her head shook a no, and her hand disappeared in his jeans.

“We’ve waited long enough for this thing”, she reminded him. The wardrobe they’d had in no time.

The bed on the other hand…

Her hand sneaked out from under his belt and now she let both hands glide under his shirt, running them up to his chest.

Lips still locked he dragged her a few steps along with him, only to rest her against the wall next to the doorway, his hands now busy with opening the buttons on her blouse carefully after she had threatened him to treat all his button down shirts the way he was treating her blouses. He slowly pulled the fabric out of her skirt, dropping it carelessly on the floor after he finally had her out of it.

When he lowered his head to her breasts she seized the opportunity to divest him of his T-shirt.

He grinned when his Black Sabbath shirt landed in a heap next to their feet before turning his attention back to those silk clad two, running his tongue over the soft flesh.

“Breasts are so much better on women…”, he sighed, getting a confused look.

“Patient in the clinic, took his wife’s hormone pills”, he explained before freeing one of her nipples and running his tongue over it while she giggled.

“I’m glad you like mine better.”

“Yeah… thank God we men don’t have these distracting secondary sex attributes.”

His tongue wandered over her cleavage to the other breast, repeating what he had done to the first one.

Her hands were roaming over his broad shoulders, eventually losing themselves in his slightly curly hair, her fingernails grazing over his scalp. Her voice was husky when she answered.

“Nah… you just have this manly stubble… and these incredibly blue eyes… this dangerous rumble in your voice…” Her own voice caught when his lips closed around one taunt nipple, sucking it into his mouth, making sure his stubble tickled her soft skin.

He occupied himself a little bit longer with those two, teasing her until her grip on his hair losened and she leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes. A protesting whimper escaped her throat when he let go of that nipple, his mouth once more claiming hers, kissing her until his and her lips were swollen, while his hands worked on the hooks of the bra, wanting to feel her naked skin against his bare chest.

“They even feel better”, he said hoarsly, feeling her shake in his arms when she laughed. Dropping the bra his hands went to cup those two, the hard nubs pressing into his palms.

She responded with a throaty “Mmmmh”, before yanking on his belt, opening it as well as the button. Her hands stopped opening his pants for some seconds, rather hovering over the growing bulge in there, caressing him through the fabric, eliciting an equally throaty moan of him.

Lowering the zipper her hand sneaked immediately inside his boxers, caressing his swollen shaft with her index finger from top to base until he had to stop her.

“Stop doing that or this is over really soon…”

She just met his gaze with an evil grin, before pushing him backwards to the bed.

When it was right behind him she tugged at jeans and boxers at the same time, shoving them down to his ankles, before pushing him on the bed.

“Han…”

“Shhh…”

Getting down to her knees she kissed his tip, suppressing a giggle when she thought about that one time he had tried to order her to do that. Drawing a circle around it with her tongue she repeated the movement with her forefinger, sliding it down towards his balls. Looking up to him she could see that he had closed his eyes, his hands clawing into the sheets.

His hips slightly bucked when she took his head in her mouth, running her tongue around it, her hands moving to the side, caressing his thighs.

“Hannah, I…”

She silenced him by taking him in further, freeing another groan.

When she really started to move one of his hands sneaked to her head, holding her where she was, betraying his words when he begged her that he wanted to come inside her.

He fought the urge to thrust when he felt his orgasm near, her hot mouth engulfing him, sucking him, pooling all his senses at that area and making him forget his own name when he called hers.

 

He could taste himself on her lips when she scurried onto the bed next to him, running a hand over his chest as if to find his wild beating heart and she let out a surprised shriek, when his strong arms closed around her, crushing her towards him.

“Little witch…”

She laughed at that, kissing him again.

“What gave me away?”

Laughing he turned both of them around, pressing her into the new mattress with his weight.

“Will you play with me for two hours now?” he asked instead of answering her question and got an evil grin back. She kissed him hungrily before saying “I’ll play with you the whole night. If you want me to…”


	38. Sympathy for the devil

It had sounded promising.

It was hot as hell.

And now he was paying for it.

Who the hell would have thought that she could really keep him awake the whole night?

And with him he didn’t necessarily mean himself but a certain part of his anatomy…

Two of his three ducklings stared at him when he limped to the sink in snail tempo, almost falling asleep when he poured his coffee.

“We have a new patient”, Cameron announced, handing him a file when he finally had sat down. He glanced at it with half closed eyes.

“Didn’t we throw out the girl with the Raynaud symptomes?”

Chase frowned at him.

“It’s a man… the symptomes are completely different. Except for the Raynaud.”

Squeezing his eyes shut and opening them again, he read the file again.

“Where’s Cramer? He’s the angiologist.”

“Doing your clinic hours!” Cameron snapped. Did he take too much Vicodin this morning?

“Oh. Yeah. Okay. Find out if the guy is smoking, exlude every other vasculitis, or clots, and then ask Cramer how to treat Endangiitis obliterans. I’m in my office.”

Both of his ducklings watched him disappear in his office, falling into his yellow chair.

“Did he just diagnose the guy with just looking at the file?”

“Please, he’s diagnosed five people in under a minute in the clinic, why not do it with someone he hasn’t even seen once?”

“I’ll go find Cramer while you do the history?”

Cameron nodded, watching the abbandoned cup of coffee on the glass table in the conference room.

 

***

 

Someone was shaking his shoulder.

“House.”

“Mmmh…”

“House!”

 “Yeah?” No, he wouldn’t open his eyes. Maybe the person would just go away.

“We have a patient.”

“I diagnosed him already…”

“Yes, I know, and you were right.”

“Why are you here then?” He tried to turn to his side, but that was just uncomfortable.

“Because we have a patient…”

“I diagnosed…”

“We have a NEW patient”, he was cut off, impatient tapping starting vibrations in the floor.

He sighed.

“Tell me the symptomes…”

He could hear paper.

And he could feel a confused look.

“Weakness, exhaustion, anorexy, vomiting, giddiness, stomache ache, blue lips…”

“Check ACTH-levels, sodium, potassium, cortisol…”, he said, almost asleep again.

“You think it’s Addison’s?”

He grumbled something non identificationable in the general direction of his duckling, still not really knowing who of them it was. Of course it was not Cameron, because her voice he could distinguish from the Aussie-dialect and the arian correct pronouciation of his newbie…

“Sometimes I wonder why I even ask… you know everything better…”

It took real effort to answer Chase.

“Check skin color. Ask Cuddy how to do an ACTH-test, if that is not changed. And now leave me alone for heaven’s sake.”

 

***

 

“House!!!”

He growled at the unwelcome intruder, sure that he had fallen asleep again only five minutes ago.

Impatient tapping started again.

“HOUSE!”

Okay. He would open his eyes.

Even if that meant that the sun would blind him.

Cuddy standing next to him, fuming, also was a picture he’d rather not see right now. Actually he just wanted to see that when he had said something inappropriate or pulled a stunt.

“You know, I’m laying right next to you, you don’t have to shout, my hearing is good.”

“YOU MADE DR. CRAMER DO YOUR CLINIC HOURS!”

So she would not take pity on his ear drums.

“You say that as if it was a first. Did he come running?”

“No, I walked in on him… it is called YOUR clinic hours, because you should be doing them!”

He sighed.

“He’s had like what, three people with a cold, two cases of acute pyleonephritis considering the cold weather in the last days, maybe 12 teenagers who just don’t want to go to school and one case of gonorrhoea?”

She was silent for some seconds, telling him that he was right.

Suppressing a yawn he closed his eyes again.

“Hou…!”

“You don’t want me down there. I didn’t get any sleep last night… must be that first night in a new bed thing… and I already solved two puzzles today. My work is done…”

Now he actually yawned, trying again to turn to his side.

Cuddy just watched him, frowning. He could fall asleep practically everywhere and then had problems with a new bed?

Realizing that he was snoring softly she decided that he was peaceful right now – something the hospital didn’t experience very often with Gregory House – and  she left the room. Deciding to let him sleep for now.

 

***

 

They wanted to torture him.

He had no other explanation why he had diagnosed SIRS, Todd’s paresis, syphilis in end stadium, a lymphoangitis and a kawasaki-syndrome that one of his minions had mistaken for measles. Before lunch.

They wanted to keep him awake.

They. Wanted. To. Torture. Him.

That was why he had dragged his tired ass out of his chair and made his way to the institute of genetics.

Staring inside her office he found her behind her desk, working.

Not looking tired at all.

“You’re supposed to be laying on that couch…”, he grumped, suppressing another yawn.

“If I’d known you’d be over for a nooner, I’d be laying there already”, she grinned at him and he moaned.

“No more sex until I got more than 5 minutes sleep at once. You know, I think the kiddies and Cuddy want to kill me by depriving me of sleep…”

She laughed, getting up from her chair and walked towards him.

“Are you always that paranoid when you didn’t get enough sleep?”

“It’s not paranoia when someone’s out to get you. And I did not get not enough sleep, I didn’t get any at all…”

Not that he wanted to complain.

It had been hot as hell. Every porn actor would turn pale confronted with his performance…

She smiled softly, taking his hand and leading him to the couch.

“Stop patting yourself on your back. You can sleep here.”

She took his cane out of his hands, when his beeper started to beep.

“God… no!”

It didn’t stop beeping.

“This is all your fault”, he grumped, getting up from the couch again.

“I’ll be sure to do something like last night again only when you have your day off next day”, she grinned.

He just made a face at her before disappearing again.

She closed up to him when he had reached the elevator.

“Think you’ve got work for your neurologist?”

“Only if you keep my ducklings busy for the rest of the day…”

 

***

 

“It’s ALS.”

House’s three minions stared at the neurologist who had taken them with her to take a look at their newest patient while House had annouced that he was doing his clinic hours.

“And you know that after he stuck his tongue out?”

“Yeah. Fibrillations.”

“That could also be caused by HTLV-I… ALS is so…”

„Final? I know, but I can’t change that. Do the test’s. And it’s not caused by HTLV-I, because then his family would be affected too…”

 

***

 

Somebody was shaking his shoulder.

Again.

And he thought in exam room 2 they would leave him alone.

“Cuddy is on her way here”, a soft voice said, dragging him from the bed in there to a sitting position on the chair.

“I told you she was out to get me”, he answered, opening the file she gave him just in time.

“House! Nurse… what are you doing here, Dr. McLachlan?”

House pretended to be busy studying the file while his stranger turned to the dean of PPTH, looking her directly in the eye.

“We’re discussing one of Greg’s cases. Patient’s an early stage of ALS, maybe medication can help…”

“Did you exclude HTLV-I already?” House asked, turning the page in front of him. Hannah turned her gaze to him

“No. Your kiddies will be busy with doing tests for some hours. And maybe we could relocate this discussion into my office, where I can show you some statistics, instead of disturbing you when you could be treating patients”, she answered, her eyes wandering back to Cuddy.

“If they can spare you here in the clinic, of course.”

 

***

 

“You just _so_ lied in there”, House mentioned when he followed her out of the building.

“You were in a room where you treat patients, and you _could_ have been doing that.”

“Jeez. You missed your profession. With all this hair splitting you would be one hell of a lawyer.”

“Shut up or I’ll show you those statistics I talked about instead of letting you sleep on my couch.”

He smiled while she easily adjusted her steps to his slow pace.

Silently they walked to the institute of genetics, where he immediately crawled onto said couch, sighing contented when he could turn around without being hit by an armrest.

“You going to play teddybear?” he asked tiredly, glad that this sentence still made sense.

“Nah… you wouldn’t get any sleep with me in your arms…”

Actually… he wouldn’t mind…

 

***

 

It was loud.

Really loud.

And he was trying to ignore it for five minutes now.

With very little success.

“Mine was more important!” a male voice shouted.

“But I reserved the lightcycler!” another male shouted.

“I don’t care! I could have…” the first man started.

“You could have done what every civilized person would do and reserve that thing when you need it!” the second interrupted him

“Please, with your little green stuff. Do some real research, and…!”

“You…!”

“Shut up, both of you!” a female voice ordered. And she didn’t shout. She just talked REALLY loud.

“But…!”

“I SAID SHUT UP. Especially you two. I should cut off your ears and stuff them into the pockets of your pants so you can hear it when I kick your ass!”

Heh. That one he had to remember…

“Are we in a kindergarten? I believe both of you are adults, and according to your certificates you also have a brain. You stop taking his stuff out of anything he has stuff in, and YOU stop using equipment other people have reserved. And…”

“I can’t reserve a centrifuge everytime I…”

“YOU are quiet now. I’m talking. Also you have to plan your experiments, you…”

“I have to do them when…”

Hannah actually growled at the man.

“Down. Give me twenty!”

“Wha…?”

“Twenty push ups, now!”

Uh oh… she sounded really angry now.

He could hear her moving, and it was silent for a while before the man started panting.

When the guy got up again, he could hear his stranger growl again.

“You want another twenty for talking now?”

The guy didn’t say a thing, House just assumed he was shaking his head.

“You will reserve the equipment you need. I don’t want to hear any complaints. Never ever again. Did I make myself clear?!”

The guy still didn’t say a word, maybe was just nodding because Hannah growled a “Good. You can go now – and you don’t even try to thank me or you’ll be also down on my floor!”

 

It was quiet for a while after the two poor men had closed the door to her office after them, and he tried to find a comfortable position again.

“I’m sorry I woke you”, she said calmly from her desk, her fingers flying over her keyboard.

“Just remind me not to piss you off. Bum leg’s not up for push ups.”

“I beg to differ… your performance last night shows me you’re simulating”, she grinned at her desk, making him frown. Then he shook his head and had to laugh, too.

“Just don’t tell anyone…”

 

***

 

This time he actually got some hours of sleep.

Then a warm pair of lips on his skin woke him, even though that was better than anyone shaking his shoulder.

“Time to go home…”

He eased himself up to his elbow, blinking tiredly, but feeling more relaxed than before.

“How long…?”

“Three hours. Your beeper went off two times.”

He rubbed his eyes, yawning openly.

“You didn’t say anything?”

“I called Allison. Your ALS-Patient has ALS and they diagnosed an encephalitis on their own.”

“Who they?”

“Your kiddies. Don’t worry, it was a case like in the books…”

He grabbed her wrist pulling her onto the couch with him and closed his arms around her.

“Next time we do something like last night we make sure I have the next day off. You can’t abuse an old man like this, you know?”

She sighed when his tongue drew a wet line from her neck to her shoulder.

“You’re not old. And I can abuse you like this when you let me. You dared me last night to prove I actually could play with you all night.”

“Yeah… I shouldn’t have had doubts… in you AND me”, he grinned cockily against her neck, while his hand pulled her blouse ot of her skirt.

He was caught.

“What do you think about going home, eat something and then do highly inappropriate and pleasurable things to each other?”

 

***

 

A smile crept on her face when she was running her fingers through his curly hair while he was drifting into sleep, his breath tickling the skin on her chest.

“That I hadn’t in mind when you said inappropriate”, he whispered when they curled into each other.

She wrapped her arms around him, leaning even more into the soft pillows of their new bed.

“It’s pleasurable, though”, Hannah whispered back, kissing his forehead.

“I’ll make you pay for what I had to suffer today”, he said, his voice getting more quiet with every word.

“I hope so”, she replied, feeling him laugh and fall asleep at the same time in her arms.

 


	39. London calling...

Warm lips around one taunt nipple made her sigh in her sleep. Long fingers on her skin made her shiver. Gregory House kept his teasing low, careful not to wake her. At least not yet.

His tongue started to play with the nipple, freeing another sigh, while his hand wandered to the soft swelling of her breast, caressing it lightly. She whimpered silently when he abbandoned the nipple, blowing cool air over it before starting to draw a line of kisses down her abdomen to her navel, once again leaving a hickey there when he was done drawing wet circles around it.

Resuming his line of kisses he went down further, trailing over her hipbones to that small line of hair between her legs and he decided it was time to stop the careful teasing.

A throaty “Mmmmh” escaped her when he tasted her, his tongue lazily licking over her folds, aiming for the center, probing her. He wasn’t surprised to find her ready for him and almost had to laugh when her thighs closed around his head when he hit that bundle of nerves hidden there.

Sucking it between his lips he once again ran his tongue over her clit,  freeing another moan. She began to stir under his hands when he decided to scoot up again to kiss her, his fingers stroking over her soft skin, making their way down to her belly again, making her shiver.

Black eyes shining in the darkness of his bedroom told him she was awake now. Arms sneaking around his neck and disappearing in his hair to pull him closer for another kiss told him she was willing to participate. Hot lips against his mouth made him moan in return. His fingers started wandering again, gently parting her folds to find this sensitive nub again.

She could feel him grin against her lips when she couldn’t help but groan a throaty “Greg…”.

“That’s my name, yeah…”

“It’s good that all my lovers are called Greg… can’t accidentally say a wrong naaa…”

She never ended that sentence when he entered her with one long finger, his thumb pressing against her clit, rubbing it. His other hand sneaked behind her head, and he roughly kissed her before locking his gaze with hers in the dim light of his bedroom.

“No sarcasm allowed in here…”

She was already breathing more heavily, holding onto his back more firmly.

“You sure…? You’re at least 98 percent pure sarcasss…”

He added another finger and increased his pace to shut her up.

“No sarcasm. No other Gregs. I’m the only one…”

And even though he occupied himself once more with one of her breasts, sucking a painfully erect nipple into his mouth to tease her, she felt the need to reassure him.

The whispered “You’re the only one”, made him stop his actions for one second, only to once again capture her mouth while never ceasing to pleasure her.

Soon she was breaking contact to throw her head back into the pillows while his tongue darted out to taste the skin of her colarbone and his hand met the movement of her hips.

“Greg… please…”

His lips curled into a smile against her warm skin.

“Please what?”

He didn’t make it easy for her to articulate what exactly she wanted when his thumb put some extra pressure on her clit, making her moan loudly.

“I… want you…”

He grinned again, then kissed her firmly, never stopping his fingers.

“You have me.”

“… inside…”

His tongue went to her neck, nipping it carefully. Then he wriggled his fingers.

“I am already inside you”, he declared with a low rumble in his voice and had to laugh when she actually growled at him, before a groan escaped him when she grasped his erect member and started to pump him.      

Once again he decided to tease her and was rewarded with a sound of protest when he withdrew his fingers.

On the other hand he didn’t really like it when at the same time she let go off his penis.

He was once again surprised by her strength when she effortlessly turned him on his back, straddling him that fast that his breath caught when he felt her hot walls flutter around him.

“You can tease me later”, she declared before she started to ride him, her hands stabilizing her on his chest.

House managed to shake his head at her determined look.

“Boy, one should think you got enough last night…”

“Are you complaining? You started this, you know.”

He was almost too focused on her hips grinding against his, while her hands where roaming over his chest, grazing through the small amount of hair there, to answer.

“I’m sure as hell not complaining!”

She bent down to meet his lips.

“Then shut up and fuck me!”

A growl rumbled in his throat when he heard that and with an agility he didn’t know he possessed he had her pinned beneath him, thrusting into her hard.

“Your wish is my command…”, he groaned repeating his movement while she closed her legs around his butt, pushing him in even deeper. His lips once again moved for her neck, slightly biting her there.

Had she always smelled that good?

His arms went around her body, drawing her closer while increasing his pace, intoxicated by her smell and he was rewarded with a throaty “Yes!”, telling him he was doing something right.

Her inner walls were gripping him already, and even though he had wanted this to go slow, he had somehow lost control over this whole situation.

Her movements meeting him became unsteady soon, arching herself against him and squeezing him that hard that he had to think about all the old ladies he’d ever treated to not come right there.

“God, Hannah… don’t…”

Her orgasm hit her before he could end whatever he had wanted to say. Her muscles were gripping and releasing his throbbing dick so forcefully that even the picture of all his paperwork of one year couldn’t stop his release, blinding him for some seconds while his teeth sank into the soft flesh of her neck and his arms crushed her against him.

 

He was still panting and asking himself how the metallic taste of blood came into his mouth when he felt her legs glide down from his body to the mattress and only now he realized that he was still on top of her with his full weight. House rolled to his back, pulling her to his side and kissed the top of her head when it was on its place on his shoulder.

Still breathing heavily he managed to get out a “Wow…”, and waited for a reaction.

She just snuggled to his side, snaking one arm over his chest.

“For that you deserve a warm pizza”, he declared and this time he could feel her shake in his arms, laughing.

 

***

 

When he woke there were clothes on his bed.

Many clothes.

He ran a hand over his face and looked again.

Yep, clothes.

Hannah appeared next to the bed, another heap of skirts in her arms and placed them also on her side of the bed.

“What are you doing there?” he asked, watching her as if she had lost her mind.

“I’m packing.”

His face fell slightly, a confused frown on it now.

“You’re leaving me?”

She stopped her movements midair, looking at him just as confused.

“I have this congress in London. You know that.”

He hoped she missed the sigh he let out.

“Your flight leaves in three days. And I don’t think you need all of your clothes for a three day trip.”

He could see she hadn’t missed the sigh when a soft expression appeared on her face.

“You obviously have never seen me packing before.”

“Nope.” Crossing his arms behind his neck he continued to watch her.

“I’ve been so used to do it on short notice that I was surprised the first time I didn’t find BDU’s but five skirts and no blouse. And since I can’t go shopping all the time I have to go somewhere… well, I’ve got a list.” She lifted a used looking paper into his vision and he grinned, shaking his head.

“And you are doing this three days before you are leaving, at…”, turning towards the alarm clock he read the time and groaned, “… 6:05 in the morning, because?”he asked, cocking his head to one side.

She didn’t look at him, just shoved one pile with blouses to another place on their bed. Suddenly she stopped, letting her hands fall to her side.

“Actually I have no clue. I just couldn’t sleep anymore, and I needed something to do.”

“You were sleeping peacefully before our little hanky panky.”

At this her eyes focused on him, making him frown.

“You are calling this a hanky panky? I can’t remember one time I’ve been that egoistic when…”, her voice trailed off, with him still pulling a face.

“Egoistic?” he echoed, looking at her really confused. He did get off last night, didn’t he?

She ran a hand through her hair, the other one was tugging at the hem of his Stones shirt she was wearing.

“I… when you woke me I thought we would be making love… slowly, just as you started. And then I suddenly hear myself telling you to shut up and fuck me, and believe me, from that time on I only was interested in my orgasm, and nothing else.”

He just winked at her.

“No problem here with the hot and fast department. Did me good, too.”

She sighed and put her hands on her hips.

“Greg.”

“No, really, I liked it. You can get egoistic on me more often if you want to.”

Her hands were still on her hips, her eyes still focused on him.

He again made a face.

“Oh, you want to know why you behaved like that?”

He hummed a little, thinking about how he had felt, how she had…

“Pheromones.”

A steep furrow appeared on her forehead.

“What?”

“I asked myself if you always smelled that good when you were going all egoistic on me. So if Gabriella Sabatini hasn’t a new perfume out called ‘Take me right now’, it has to be pheromones.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“And?”

He leaned his head back on his arms, watching his ceiling for his next sentence.

“And you are ovulating.”

It was silent for some seconds, before she spoke again.

“I’ve been doing that for twenty years now. Never felt like this.”

She had crossed her arms before her chest when he looked at her again, seeing her confused and a bit ashamed standing next to their bed. Sitting up on his side he extended a hand, and when she took it pulled her onto the bed over all of her clothes into his arms.

“Maybe I’m not the only one ticking”, he declared then, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

“Ticking”, she repeated.

“Aw, come on, you can’t have forgotten our panty call.”

She looked at him thoughtfully, suddenly widening her eyes.

“You mean…”

He again kissed her.

“Yep. So… when’s your probation over?”

“It is already… so… you really want to… uhm…”

He watched her sincerely.

“Make a baby? Why not? Never done that before. I heard it’s fun making one. We might test it.”

The woman in his arms just shook her head and started to laugh.

“You really think the world is ready for our child?”

This time he made a thoughtful expression.

“The world maybe not… but the way you behaved this night, and how I reacted to you tells me something…”

“We should stop practicing and go for the real thing? Under one condition…”

“The leg’s still not up for ‘door’”, House grinned, pulling her closer.

Hannah laughed at that and let him kiss her briefly.

“Just try not to bite me again. My neck’s killing me.”

His thumb immediately stroked tenderly over said part of her body, feeling the imprints his teeth had left, while a big grin spread on his face.

“Next thing that will bite you is a stork”, he growled, running one hand up her thigh.

 

***

 

The man in front of him was taking the corner faster than he should have been able to and Lucas Cramer thought not for the first time about the possibility that Gregory House was simulating.

But then, a few days ago he had seen the leg give way after a long day of work and how the older man had dragged out his Vicodin.

“House!” he called out once again, and either the other man really didn’t hear him or he was really good at pretending he didn’t hear him.

Once again the diagnostician was opening a door of a lab in the oncology department, letting out a sigh.

“There you are hiding! I’ve been searching the whole hospital for you!”

Wilson growled behind his microscope when his best friend marched into the room.

“I’m not hiding, I’m working. You know, you could try that too, they give you money for that.”

House just started to grin.

“Oh, you… a pretty boy like me doesn’t work.”

With a sigh Wilson took his eyes off the sample he was currently looking at and looked at the diagnostician.

“Greg, I’ve got a nine year old with terminal leukemia here. Just tell me what you want and then let me figure out how to tell him and his parents…”

House just as always didn’t react at his attempt to drag out his sensitivity, but cocked his head.

“Does that mean I get to pay you another ten bucks for someone thanking you for telling him he’s dying?”

Cramer narrowed his eyes in shock about the bluntness and lack of sensitivity of his boss while Wilson just sighed again. He should have known better. House and his problems always were ten times more important than one of his bald cancer kids.

“Just tell me, okay?”

Spinning around on his good heel, the diagnostician shut the door in front of Cramer’s nose with an evil grin before turning to the oncologist again.

“I think I should get cold feet.”

Wilson frowned at him, and then his eyes went wide with shock.

“You asked her to marry you?”

House frowned back.

“No. Why would I do that?”

“You just told me you think you should get cold feet.”

“And you can only do that when you asked someone to marry you?”

“Well… yeah, actually that term is chained to the marry-someone-thing.”

House looked at him thoughtfully for some seconds, until Wilson sighed. Again.

“Okay, why do you think you should get cold feet? And not in the I-asked-her-to-be-my-wife-kind-of-way?”

“We agreed on starting on the baby.”

This time he really shocked his friend, who was staring at him wide eyed, openmouthed.

“Actually… we already started on starting on the baby…”, House continued.

“You still breathing, Jimmy?”

Wilson shut his mouth, only to open it again.

“Ahm… uh… you… ah… Actually, I don’t know what to say. This is a situation I never thought would happen”, the oncologist admitted.

House looked at him confused.

“What? Me telling you that sooner or later you’ll have to buy a onesie as a present?”

“No, you telling me, admitting you want a child and going for it. I figured you’d be already on your way to Paraguay when a woman suggested something like that.”

“Nah, the Chaco Boreal is too dangerous. And you were the one telling me I was ticking.”

Wilson snorted.

“Yeah. I thought I’d be receiving postcards by now. _Dear Jimmy, I’m still ticking. Think in Bolivia it’s getting better? Love, House._ ”

House chuckled at that.

“Come on, I’m not writing postcards like that.”

“I know. Remember when you and Stacy were in Lisboa? You sent me a black Lisboa at night card, saying _On day there’s more buildings and colour, promise!_ Without even signing it.”

“Okay… so you want an Asunción at night card?”

The oncologist shook his head.

“I want to know why you _think_  you should get cold feet.”

“Because that would be me.”

“Says who?”

“Me… everybody who knows me… do you really think the world is ready for my child?” he repeated her words.

Wilson had to laugh loudly about that comment.

“I don’t think so. But I think you and Hannah will manage. The world has to cope. And you had very much practice in the last two years.”

“Huh?”

“Come on, the kindergarten you call fellows… sometimes they’re worse than babies.”

“Hey, stop insulting my kiddies. You’re just jealous because you don’t have any.”

Wilson shook his head. He had fellows. He just didn’t treat them like slaves… or relatives…

“Yeah, that’s it. Still thinking about cold feet?”

“Nah… I’m thinking that my newbie had test results I wanted to see… Well, he’s still out there, so no problem. I’ll go, you think about your speech to cancerkid. I’d start with ‘I’m sorry…’.”

With that the diagnostician turned around again, opening the door and looking for his new duckling.

Much to his surprise Cramer wasn’t standing in front of the lab, waiting for him to finish his conversation with Wilson.

He let out an acknowledging hum.

 

***

 

“It’s not Lupus”, he was greeted when he reached his conference room, seeing his ducklings sit around the white board.

“That’s my sentence. I’m trademarking it. I assume the ANA test was negative.”

“Yes.”

Thoughtfully he sat down on a chair.

“Well… 5% of Lupus patients have a negative test result…”, he then said, looking at the board.

6 misscarriages. 6 of which they knew…

“Wait… are you telling us it _is_ Lupus?” Cameron piped up, looking at him as confused as the other two ducklings.

“Ah… it’s never Lupus, that’s what you always tell us!” Chase followed.

“Yeah, and I’m always right.”

Chase put his hands on his hips.

“Most of the time you are. Especially when it comes to ruling out Lupus…”

House just stared at his ducklings. When had they started to think so inside the box?

“Just because I say it’s never Lupus it can’t be Lupus? Okay. She has Cushing’s.”

“What? None of the symptoms matches that!” Cameron exclaimed, with Chase and Cramer frowning at him.

“I know. But I said she has Cushing’s, and since I’m always right… do an adrenalectomy.”

His three ducklings stared at him openmouthed.

“Aw, come on. Look at the symptomes. And then our immunologist tells you what to do to test for APS.”

At least in Cameron’s head it seemed to click.

“Makes sense”, he could hear from Cramer’s corner, while Chase continued to stare at the white board.

“I can’t believe we finally have a case of Lupus and I try to fight the diagnose”, the Aussie said then, shaking his head.

The four of them turned around when the door to the conference room opened, Lisa Cuddy sticking her head in.

“You have a minute for me, House?”

“How often do I have to tell you: I’m a monogamist. No more playing with you, sorry.”

The dean just shrugged it off.

“Please, I have time for tennis again, no loss on my side. I need to talk to you.”

Four eyepairs looked at her curiously. She hadn’t yelled – what could that mean?

Grabbing his cane he got up from the chair, leading his boss towards his office.

Before he reached the door, he turned around again, facing his kiddies who still looked at them curiously.

“Didn’t I just send you away to test for those antibodies?” he scowled at them.

Cuddy being nice to him normally didn’t mean anything good.

 

***

 

“I got a phonecall…”, Cuddy started when they were in his office and he had plopped down on his chair.

“Wow… I understand you got excited. Something like that doesn’t happen every day”, was his sarcastic remark.

The dean rolled her eyes.

“House.”

He leaned back in his chair.

“Okay. What did I do this time? Molest Murino from second floor? Yell at another pregnant teenager? Am I still harassing Cameron? Or is it Cramer now? You know, his arian…”

Cuddy rolled her eyes again.

“House!”

He just grimaced a ‘Then tell me what you want’.

“I got called by the people who organize this convention in London…”

“The one Hannah is attending?”

“Yes. Apparently one of their main speakers chancelled, and somehow they dug out you…”

He cocked his head.

“Aaaand…?”

Cuddy fought the urge to roll her eyes again, this time successfully.

“And asked if you could jump in. Now I know that it is on short notice, but assuming that you like listening to yourself when you’re talking, I think you could fill half an hour easily… the topic is up to you…”

“I don’t do lectures. I suck at them.”

This time she grimaced. Yeah, of course. The students had stayed voluntarily for twenty minutes after the lesson was already over, listening to him, and would have stayed even longer, hadn’t he asked if there was a buzzer or something. She had gotten requests if House could teach them more often, since he was challenging them, teaching them to think instead of rattling down memorized stuff.

She had thought about it and decided it wasn’t worth the fights he would put up with her. He had declared he would never do it again – and he would have found a way.

“It’s not a lecture. It’s more of a speech.”

House still frowned at her. Had she forgotten how Vogler had tried to blackmail him into giving this speech about his firm’s new meds and how it turned out?

“Yeah, because I’m that good at them.”

Shifting her weight from one foot to the other she fixed him in her pale blue gaze.

“You could spend the days with Dr. McLachlan, you know…”

He scrutinized her intently at that comment.

“We’re both adults. We can manage to be three days apart.” He still didn’t know how, but somehow he would manage.

His stare still rested on her when her eyes started to wander.

“You already told them I’d be attending, didn’t you”, House deduced when she broke eye contact.

“Maybe I just thought it would be nice for you and her to be together…”

“If you wanted to be nice you could have offered me some days off. You told them I’d be giving a lecture.”

Cuddy just shifted to the other foot again, knowing that if he didn’t want to do that, he’d find a way. Maybe he would even fly to London and then let her down, just to be the ass he always claimed to be.

“I could order you”, she declared nevertheless.

He didn’t really react.

“Yes. You could. But then you can’t control what comes out afterwards… I could pull a Vogler again. I don’t do speeches”, he declared again.

She looked at him again, her mind already racing how she could chancel when he spoke up with an almost invisible smile on his lips.

“Unless…”

“Unless what?” Maybe, just maybe he just could do her the favour and she didn’t have to tell them she had lied.

His expression was hard as stone by now, his eyes still on her. Boy, he could really make you wanna run.

“Eight weeks.”

She was confused.

“Eight weeks what?”

“I’ll do the speech for eight weeks of clinic duty.”

Her eyes went wide at this demand and she had already turned around with a “Forget it”, when she once again thought about the phonecall she would have to make.

Turning around she saw him drag out his Gameboy.

“No bargaining? This is so not you, House.”

“Why? I don’t want to do it at all, I would’ve done it for eight weeks of clinic duty… Why should I bargain?” he asked back, his attention turning to his game when Cuddy sighed.

“Two weeks.”

His eyes briefly left the screen but then locked on it again.

“Six.”

“House, this is…”

“Still you wanting something from me. Six weeks.”

Cuddy sighed again. She really didn’t want to phone them.

“Four.”

He looked up again with those ocean blue eyes and she thought he would laugh at her, telling her to forget it.

Instead he said “Deal.”

 

***

 

She had had the nerves to send him down to the clinic after that, telling him she would take the four weeks of the three months he still owed her.

He was surprised that there were only three months left. But then… he had been very productive in the ten days Hannah had been in coma and before. And he sure had won some bets.

Maybe he would be done with his clinic hours before 2054.

And she _had_ the nerves to send him down there again!

At least Hannah was there, too, coming out of exam room 1, talking to a girl sitting at the waiting area.

A girl that looked somewhat familiar.

By the time she was on her feet to follow the neurologist House had reached them.

“Haven’t I referred you to a gynecologist?!”

Pale blue eyes looked at him somewhat surprised, before she closed them firmly, letting out a groan.

Hannah caught her before she fell.

“He’s on vaccation till tomorrow… I’m ten days early”, she told him, when the first wave of pain was over, still firmly holding onto the hand the head of Genetics had offered her.

“Then why didn’t you ask for…”

His beeper chose this moment to start to beep.

“I did”, the girl grinned at him, sticking a strand of pale blonde hair behind her ear.

“We’ll get you a wheelchair and a room… you going to play midwife this time? Just to practice a little?” he asked in Hannah’s direction. She frowned at him.

“Are you talking about my midwife skills? I don’t need them around the brain, you know.”

“No, I meant…”

She turned around, walking away from him.

“I’ll get the wheelchair.”

The girl in front of him sat down.

“I think you pissed her off.”

That’s what he thought, too.

It was the Why he just couldn’t pinpoint.

 

***

 

He reached the room they had gotten Luisa… or Lilly? when another wave of pain hit her.

Leaning in to Hannah he growled “You’re getting lot’s of drugs when we are this far”, only to be growled at back.

“What? I’m not allowed to care? To not want you to suffer?” he asked, a bit offended by her behaviour. Didn’t they agree…?

She spun around to look at him and if there was ever a picture next to the description of anger in any dictionary it would have been her face.

“Do you really want the nurses to gossip about us wanting to procreate?” she asked him through gritted teeth, quiet enough to not alert said nurses.

Uh… no. Actually he didn’t want that.

“I’ll shut up, understood.”

At least he would be trying to.

She just nodded, softening her face before turning around again, ignoring the nurse’s interested glances towards her and the diagnostician, before leaving the room.

“Okay, Linda. We’ll make this as comfortable as possible for you.”

“So I get lot’s of drugs?” the girl asked, grinning at both the diagnostician and the female doctor.

House just shook his head, smiling to himself.

“I think, we’re busted, Honey.”

“Yep. How much do you want for not telling anybody?”

“Don’t worry, the nurse didn’t hear you. My Mom was deaf and I learned to read lips from her before she died.”

House dragged a chair next to her bed while Hannah looked at the IV.

“How are you doing? Your Dad still bugging you?”

NO… he DIDN’T care…

He was just curious.

“No… Actually, the father of my boyfriend was here when you defended me. I’m living with them now. His sister at least was smart enough to get the pill…”

“Please tell me it’s not the Dad of pill princess…”

“It is”, a voice behind them said, before a whole family rushed into the room.

 

House got up from his chair and joined Hannah at the door, looking at the people in front of them.

“I hope your siblings and parents don’t want into your room all at once.”

She smiled at him, shaking her head slightly.

“I can’t promise that. But I think my Dad will use all his authority to get the grandparents in first.”

House stayed silent, even when she looked at him, a concentrated expression on his face.

“You can’t hate your parents that much…”, she then gasped in a tone he’d never heard before.

He was spared an answer to this question when the soon to be Grandfather turned to them.

“I don’t get a lecture for my double moral? I’m surprised.”

“Your double moral?”

Pill princess’ Dad stepped next to them, hands on his hips, watching his son caress the swollen belly of his girlfriend.

“I harp at you because you gave my 15 year old daughter the pill and at the same time my 17 year old genius of a son goes with prayer instead of using a rubber.”

“Could be called double moral, yeah, if you knew what was going on”, House confirmed.

“I didn’t until I heard her father yell in the clinic. Yet I don’t know how this would have ended if she hadn’t been admitted. At least then my son confessed and we could do something. If  security hadn’t dragged her father away I would have punched him…”

“Don’t worry, Dr. House poked him with his cane”, the girl on the bed said, her boyfriend on one hand, the Grandmother on the other.

“Should have whacked him over the head”, the soon to be Grandfather growled, stepping back to the bed.

 

***

 

Okay.

They were watching the newborn baby now for five minutes.

Two minutes after they had begun that his attention had shifted from the boy to the woman next to him who was staring at the little creep quite intently. Her hands were in the pockets of her white coat, her head tilted to the left a little.

“He’s ugly”, she suddenly said, making him frown.

In front of them was a perfectly healthy baby boy, in a blue onesie, sucking on his thumb.

“You get pressed out of a hole that’s four times smaller than you, you’ll also be a bit wrinkly”, he replied, defending the little boy’s features.

“I’d rip the hole bigger”, she said.

Then she grimaced, realizing what she just had said.

“Outch”, House stated, seeing her face.

They fell silent for a while again, before she spoke up.

“You really wouldn’t tell your parents they got a grandchild?”

He just stared on for a while.

“I keep them out of my life. Why would I want them in the life of my kid?” His mother, well, yeah. But she always came in a double pack with him. And him… he’d already screwed up his childhood…

When he realized that she had gone quiet again he looked at her.

“You’re not asking if I’m telling them about you?”

She looked back with this black gaze that made him feel small and safe at the same time.

“If you’re protecting our child from them, I assume you’d do the same with me.”

He watched her for some seconds before turning towards the window again.

“I’ll accompany you on your trip to London.”

She looked at him surprised, as well as for changing the topic of their conversation as for the contents of his last sentence.

“I thought you didn’t do family.”

“I… don’t do my family. And I’m giving a speech there.”

Now she was truly surprised.

“How the hell did Cuddy con you into that?”

Remembering their bargaining this afternoon House couldn’t help but grin.

“Four weeks of clinic duty.”

“She blackmailed you?! I would have taken the four weeks just to bug her.”

He shook his head amused.

“I do the speech for four weeks less clinic duty.”

She stared at him for some seconds before smirking.

“Okay, I’m impressed.”

He continued staring at the baby boy, not sure if his expression would give away that he also would have done it for four hours.


	40. Off we go...

“For the record: I hate packing.”

“It’s already twice in the record. You want me to put it in there again?”

“Yes. In big, black letters with many exclamation marks behind it.”

She made a face at him while she said that and he couldn’t help but grin.

“Two days ago you couldn’t wait to drag all of your clothes out of that wardrobe.”

“Yeah, and today I’ve got nothing to wear.”

He frowned at that, then remembered that this was definitely a woman in front of him.

“The whole closet’s full of…”

“Nothing to wear”, she sighed, falling down onto the bed.

“Then wear nothing. I won’t complain”, House said with a cocky smirk. She didn’t even lift her head from the pillow it had fallen onto, nor did she open her eyes.

“And then have you tell the whole city of London you were gay so  no one would look at me? I don’t think that’s gonna work.”

He plopped down on the bed nex to her, crossing his arms behind his neck.

“Actually I thought about keeping you in the hotel room for three days.”

At that she opened her eyes, lifting herself to her ellbows.

“I… didn’t tell you we were staying at my sister’s…?”

His head turned to her, his dark blue eyes sparkling with humor.

“Yes, you did, but I don’t think your sister would approve of me keeping you naked the whole time there.”

“Please, Cara couldn’t care less. Her husband on the other hand…”

He had grabbed her and turned her towards him before she could finish her sentence.

“Do I really have to remind you that you phoned your sister, informing her you’ll drag someone male along?”

In his arms Hannah started to laugh.

“She said she’ll believe it when we’re actually there.”

He joined in on her laughter before capturing her lips.

 

House had her halfway out of his Alice Cooper shirt when her foot accidentally shoved her bag from the bed.

“We’re still nothing near to an end with this packing thing!”

He again grinned at her and kept her in a firm grip when she tried to get off the bed.

“You hate packing. I just try to distract you.”

She grinned back, then easily freed herself, leaving him on his stomach.

“You already _distracted_ me twice. But unless I had a sex change OP I can’t just throw in two jeans, two button down shirts and one pair of underwear.”

“Yep, I know. You’ve stuffed 12 pairs of shoes in there already and five bras… do I have to mention the 9 tops and 15 skirts in there?” he mocked, turning to his back again, watching her drag out other clothes from a drawer.

“Well, you never know what comes next. And it’s only 3 skirts and two pants. And ONLY five pairs of shoes.”

Pulling the cover up to his chin House couldn’t fight THAT logic.

“Just stuff everything that doesn’t fit in there in my bag”, he yawned, turning to his side, fluffing the pillow under his head.

“What, you’re leaving me alone here?”

“It’s your fight against the limited space in your luggage… and it’s 00:31… and I already _distracted_ you twice…”

She surprised him by turning off the light, switching on the little lamp on her nightstand.

“I’ll try to be quiet. Good night, Greg.”

“G’night, baby…”

He heard her shuffle around while drifting into sleep, asking himself how packing for a three day trip could be such a tiring drama…

 

***

 

“How exactly did you con Cuddy into letting them come along?”

Hannah looked at Cameron and Cramer who were chatting while they were waiting for their flight.

“Actually I wanted Cameron to come along… she keeps me organized. But since Chase is on a vaccation God knows where, Cuddy was afraid that Cramer felt neglected…”

“Sooo… no one of your department’s in your department?”

“Yeah… maybe she just wanted to get rid of us for a couple of days.” House stretched out his legs in front of him, resting his right arm on top of Hannah’s chair.

“I think she’s seizing the opportunity and throws a party in my office”, he then said, making the woman next to him giggle.

“Yeah, because she is a 15 year old whose parents leave her alone for the first time.”

“I bet she never had that fun when she was 15. She’s kind of the hide-your-nose-in-a-book kinda gal…”

She frowned an ‘I don’t think so’, in his direction when a voice annouced it was boarding time for their flight.

 

***

 

The stewardess shrunk under his gaze when she asked him to give her his cane.

“I’m sorry, Sir, but…”

“According to what law do you have the right to take away my cane? What could I do with it anyways? Whack the pilot over the head? That would be stupid, since I don’t know how to fly this thing!” he growled in her direction. Sure, one could use the cane as a weapon – but that would be him, tripping this waste of oxygen.

“But when it is not medically necessary… and you could have hidden…”

The diagnostician growled again.

“Do I have to shove my pants down to show you _why_ it is medically necessary? And I intend to go to the toilet or up and down the corridor. You know, thrombosis isn’t funny!”

“I… I know… but… do you have a prescription or something…?”

By now four people stared at her with equally frightening glares. Who would have thought his ducklings would learn things like that?

“I need a prescription for my cane that I’m using for over 6 years… wow, if that isn’t efficiency.”

“But…”

“I want to talk to the pilot!” a sharp female voice said, making the stewardess jump. Before she could open her mouth once more, Hannah made her request an order.

“Now!”

The woman obediently walked away, reappearing with a pissed off pilot, who should have been doing the check list instead of dealing with passengers.

“What’s the problem?” he asked, letting his gaze wander over the four people in first class (somehow House had managed to come in under budget again…) who were making trouble.

Hannah put on her sweetest smile. A smile House knew by now. The _I’ll kill you any second of you give me a reason_ smile.

“Well, it seems we’re having a problem with my boyfriend’s cane. See, he’s missing a quarter of his thigh muscle… not really easy to walk with. And since a clotting caused all of this he has to avoid sitting too long. Now, I don’t think you would want us to ring for one of your juice-pushers every time he wants something. With his cane he’s as mobile as any of us, but your colleague thinks that after 6 years he still has to have a prescription.”

She could see that the pilot was offended by her elevating the stewardess to a colleague – which meant that he was nothing more than a juice-pusher. On the other hand he didn’t want to throw out four people flying first class just because of a cane – and he would have to throw out four of them, that he could tell by the expressions in their faces, and they would complain.

He put on a smile, too.

“I don’t think that is a problem as long as it is not in the way… I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“Then everything is okay. Now, could someone show us our seats, please”, Hannah asked just as sweetly.

The pilot left the rest to the stewardess who awkwardly showed them their seats, while House whispered in Hannah’s ear: “Did you have to make me feel like a four year old?”

“Otherwise they wouldn’t have understood it, and he would have helped his ‘colleague’”, she whispered back.

They weren’t even seated when the stewardess sped off to another problem.

“What? Is there someone with crutches?” Cameron muttered, looking at the seats.

“Or an artificial limb”, Cramer shook his head, while looking at the others questioningly.

House finally sighed.

“Okay. Are you two able to behave, or do Mommy and Daddy have to sit between you? And then Cameron is on your side, Han, in case she can’t keep her hands to herself.”

While Cameron and the neurologist just rolled her eyes, Cramer started to grin.

“What if I can’t keep my hands to myself then?” 

“Then you would have to confess that either I’m even hotter than _I_ think I am, or you are gay…” he trailed of, looking at his grinning angiologist.

“Which I assume is the latter”, he then said.

“Yep”, Cramer only made and House was the one who started shaking his head. That he hadn’t though of that! It would have been fun spreading this rumor, watching the nurses go crazy, an then get the rumor confirmed!

When House was still musing, Cramer’s smile faded.

“I didn’t think you would have a problem with my sexual orientation…”

“Huh? Jeez, I don’t care whom or what you love. Actually I always wanted a fag in my team. Somehow they just never wanted to work for me…”, House declared, before shoving Cameron to the seat at the window.

“I just can’t imagine why”, Cramer stated, before he was pushed next to the immunologist.

When he tried to seat Hannah next to Cramer she shook her head.

“You are not going to trip that girl. Be glad when she remembers what you wanted to drink.”

He pouted a bit, actually turning into the four year old he had felt like before, until the stewardess started entertaining them with the safety procedures.

After the first two really funny gestures he felt Hannah rest her head against his shoulder.

“You not watching that?” he whispered.

“I flew in military machines, in the back, with a tank in front of me and a parachute on my back. Nothing here that’s really interesting”, she yawned, feeling his hand on her knee, his thumb drawing slow circles.

“Show off”, he teased, then turned his attention back to the one woman show in front of him.

 

***

 

He woke her for the first time, when he needed to take a few steps.

She looked at ‘their kiddies’, seeing that both Allison and Cramer were fast asleep.

When House came back he looked at her with a funny expression.

“Everything okay?”

“Yep… just caught a couple in the toilet, joining the mile high club. I told them to hurry, we are next.”

Hannah’s expression didn’t change.

“Sorry, baby, I’m already a member. But you could ask Cramer…”

Frowning at her he climbed over her legs, sitting down again.

“No, thanks. And I want every detail, who, where, when, why and how… the how is the most interesting.”

His stranger shook her head amused.

“Sorry, top secret.”

“Spoilsport.”

The stewardess chose this moment to come by for the sixth time, asking him if he wanted another Scotch.

“Are you trying to get me drunk? I’m not joining the mile high club with _you_ , no way!” he declared loud enough for the whole plane to hear.

 

***

 

“Han?”

“Mmmm…”

“Hannah?”

“Grmmhhmmm?”

„You asleep?“

„Yes.“

„How can you say yes when you are sleeping?“

“I talk in my sleep…”

“And you answer questions. I’m impressed.”

“Then, can I go back to sleep again?”

“Wow, and asking questions…”

“Greg, what do you want?”

“Join the mile high club with you…”

“Later… how about my mother’s gulfstream… s’got a bed inside…”

“You’re grouchy.”

“You just woke me.”

“Yep. I need something.”

“I’m not joining…”

“Actually I’m talking about your notebook…”

“It’s in the luggage rack…”

“That I know, too. I need your password. Already tried all versions of pet names you could have for me.”

At that the neurologist opened her eyes, seeing him with her notebook on his lap.

Shaking her head she eased herself up, fingers flying over the keys to grant him access. Two seconds later she lay in her seat again, closing her eyes.

“Don’t you worry I’ll steal something?”

“Nah… nothing important on it. And you can even delete my presentation. Got it on stick, CD and in my e-mail account…”

“Nah, I’m not that mean… I’ll just write my own.”

She wondered why she wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t even started yet when she drifted back into sleep while he keyed the title of his lecture into the computer.

 

**Games against God**

\- Or why it’s never just Lupus -

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know, the Dragon Ball Tag is weird. But I invented the McLachlans for one of my JAG stories that can be found on FF.net (only in German), because Harm Rabb needed someone who was badass, and NOT Sarah MacKenzie. Dragon Ball Z was all over TV at that time, I of course routed for the bad guy Vegeta (because seriously, he's hot, and intelligent, but who isn't when compared to SonGoku?), and somehow this just happened. Actually, I wrote a story where Vegeta was duplicated and sent to Los Angeles, where he met another Saiyajin who did not even know she was one, Zoe McLachlan. They lived happily ever after and had 16 children, Hannah being one of them. So, she has powers. She's an alien. House does not know. At least not yet. It will be a topic at some point, though.


End file.
